Monrovia's bears were introduced in the 1930s

Those black bears that keep coming down into the foothills of Monrovia and Duarte may not be native to the San Gabriel Mountains at all, but descendants of 33 "problem" bears relocated from the Sierra Nevada. It was the 1930s state Department of Fish and Game that thought it would be wise to move bears from the wild Sierra to the edge of Los Angeles. Now there are 300-500 living in the Angeles National Forest, and a Cal Poly professor thinks most can be traced to that Depression-era relocation. Last year, the city of Monrovia handled 464 bear calls, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune says.

Earlier: Bear-related reports explode in Monrovia

Photo of mother and cub in Duarte Mesa yard by Richard Ur / SGV Tribune