Monrovia and Pasadena Organization Partnering to Educate City on Wildlife

The meeting will offer information on how to coexist with wildlife. – Courtesy photo

Mark your calendars for a joint community outreach meeting presented by the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA with the City of Monrovia. The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA will be highlighting the unique hillsides of Monrovia, and the natural habitat of bears in that area. They will be offering information and suggestions in diffusing conflict to coexist in harmony with wildlife. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m. in the Library Community Room, located at 321 S. Myrtle Ave. If you have any questions, please call (626) 256-8226 or visit the City’s Website and the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA website.

The meeting has been coordinated in part due to the increased visibility of wildlife in Monrovia’s residential neighborhoods. During the past few weeks, the City has observed the normal summer increase in calls for service related to bear and other wildlife sightings. Since the start of May 2018, the City has had 100 calls for service regarding bear sightings alone.

Given the overall situation, staff has been working closely with the Pasadena Humane Society to coordinate the urban wildlife interface seminar. Because in addition to the increases in human-wildlife interfaces during the past few months, the City has heard reports about some disturbing trends. Representatives from the Pasadena Humane Society have notified the City that during the past few weeks, there have been several incidents where raw meat was left in open bags at locations where there have been frequent bear sightings in Monrovia.

Given the recurring nature of this situation, the Pasadena Humane Society is having the meat sent to a lab for testing to determine if the meat was laced with any sort of poison that could harm animals that are attracted to and end up eating the raw meat. The Monrovia Police Department is providing support for the ongoing review of the matter.

Obviously, no one should be putting raw meat out for the wildlife, regardless of intention. The Pasadena Humane Society shared a few reasons why, which include:

• It is illegal – it is against the law to feed wildlife per the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 251. Furthermore, it is also illegal to litter.
• It can attract potentially dangerous wildlife – as predatory animals and vermin become aware of food sources in domestic areas, they will become more inclined to scavenge and search in neighborhoods they might not otherwise, increasing chances of human interaction.
• It can increase exposure to disease – with increased traffic from vermin and other wildlife seeking food, comes increased exposure to disease and illnesses that are associated with their presence; this poses a threat for both domestic animals and humans.
• Raw meat is dangerous in itself – raw meat contains a plethora of bacteria and pathogens that can cause salmonella and other dangerous illnesses for domestic animals and young children who may inadvertently come into contact with the meat.

Given all of the interest and attention surrounding wildlife interfaces, anyone who has a concern or an interest in the issue should attend the wildlife-urban interface community meeting.

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