Woman escapes after bear swipes claw in Monrovia, leaving minor injuries

MONROVIA, Calif. () — Hours after a woman was clawed by a bear in the Monrovia foothills, two bears were seen making themselves at home under a nearby house.

Video shows one of them scurrying away from the property, avoiding a trap placed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Monrovia police say a bear approached a woman walking her dog and swiped its claw, injuring the back of the woman’s knee.

The woman and her dog were able to get away, and someone who lives nearby called 911.

The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and is expected to be OK. The swipe caused non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

It happened around 9:15 a.m. Saturday on Oakglade Drive.

“A little shocked. I’ve lived here now since 2020, and we’ve never had an incident where a bear has attacked a person in this area,” said neighbor Robert.

Julie Strople lives nearby and says she spotted a bear while walking her dog, Fred, just minutes before the woman was hurt.

“The bear was like literally two feet from where you’re standing, and I said, ‘Mama bear, go.’ She looked at me, and she walked away,” Strople said.

“We are very used to the bears. We even joke that they have names,” Robert said.

This week, several neighbors say they spotted a bear roaming the neighborhood.

Isaiah Barrocas captured an image of a bear in his backyard.

“I kind of wanted to go out there and give it a big hug,” he said.

“You just have to be careful when you see a bear. You can’t come up to it and pet it,” neighbor Amy Barrocas said.

On Saturday, Fish and Wildlife officers placed a bear trap outside of a neighbor’s home after he said a bear had been living underneath it for two months. The man said the bear ripped through the cloth on his car cover.

It’s not clear if the bear who scratched the woman is the same bear neighbors have been seeing.

Most of the neighbors say they’re not too concerned for their safety.

“This is just part of the nature we all live in, and for those of us that have been here for a while, it’s been very, very safe,” Robert said.

Officials say if you encounter a bear, stay calm and do not run. Instead, back away slowly and give the animal plenty of space.