Avoiding the death penalty for wildlife

We are fortunate to live adjacent to wild areas. But this must be treated with respect. Several of our local neighborhoods have recently been visited by mountain lions, bears, coyotes, bobcats and more. While these animals have no intention of doing harm to humans, this is a serious situation that requires homeowners to take personal responsibility. Prevention is the best solution.

We all need to do our part to ensure wild animals don’t find easy meals around our homes. Once bears or other animals find food in residential neighborhoods, they often come back looking for more. Removing bears is only a temporary solution and eventually harsher measures, including destroying the bears, may be needed to keep our community safe.

According to the California’s Department of Fish and Game’s website, a bear may be removed “when evidence shows that a [bear] is an imminent threat to public safety.” More than once we have watched the bear known locally as both “Meatball” and “Glen Bearian” be removed. How many more times can this occur before this bear may need to be destroyed?

Prevention is the best way to avoid the death penalty for our local wildlife.

What we can do:

Keep trash, bird feeders and other attractants protected from wildlife.

Put garbage out the morning of trash day, not the night before.

Don’t leave pet food outside.

Do not feed or put water out for wildlife.

Remember that these animals are wild. Treat them as such.

Caroline Craven

La Cañada Flintridge