Bear Safety Guide
This guide provides a brief history of our bears in Sierra Madre, what to do if you encounter a bear, and best practices for safe and peaceful living with our bears.
History Of Our Sierra Madre Bears
Black bears have been a part of life in Sierra Madre for nearly a century. State officials relocated eleven bears from Yosemite to the San Gabriel Mountains in 1933. California Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (CDFW) estimates that there are 60,000 black bears in the state (CDFW, 2025), with about a dozen who roam the Sierra Madre foothills on a regular basis. Black bears can live up to 30 years, but their average lifespan is just under 20 years (CDFW, 2025).
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You will only encounter black bears in the Sierra Madre foothills, not to be confused with grizzly bears that are twenty times more dangerous (North American Bear Center, 2023). The grizzly bear, our state mascot, was hunted into extinction in 1924 (Valley Center Historic Museum).
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Sierra Madre Residents report about 130 encounters with bears each year, including approximately 20 annual home and vehicle break-ins. Black bears have never caused serious injuries or death in Sierra Madre, but two attacks from the same bear have been recorded in recent years. In 2019, an 83-year-old homeless man who was sleeping in the woods in Chantry Flats suffered scratches to his face and arm after reaching out to a bear that approached him (Gonzales, 2019). A year later, that same bear bit a 19-year-old woman’s leg after she fell asleep in a chair outside her home (Gonzales, 2020). The woman successfully fought off the bear by hitting it with her laptop.
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In 2019, the CDFW relocated a mother and her cubs, but the cub died from being over-tranquilized. In 2023, the CDFW relocated a female teen bear to the San Bernardino area where she was hit by a car. In August of 2025, the CDFW killed one bear and relocated another, but provided no information about the criteria used to make these decisions.
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When bears are relocated, 45% die within a few months (CDFW, 2021) and virtually all die within a year (Teague, 2022). Eighty percent of relocated bears try to find their way back home (CDFW, 2021) and bears from urban areas that are accustomed to eating human food usually make their way to the nearest urban area. Also, when a bear is relocated, another bear will come into their former territory, so targeted relocation does not reduce the number of bears in an area.
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The Bear Alliance (formerly the Canyon Bear Society) formed in 2023 to ensure that Sierra Madre residents and visitors are doing all we can to live safely with our bears and avoid the death sentence that is bear relocation. With some basic information about black bears, we can find a way to cohabitate in peace while enjoying the extraordinary experience of living in close proximity to one of nature’s great wonders.
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Best Practices For Bear Encounters
What should you do if you encounter a black bear?
Stay calm and keep your distance. Do not run or make sudden movements. Identify yourself by speaking calmly in a normal voice to help the bear recognize you as human. Back away slowly while keeping the bear in sight, and give the bear plenty of space and a clear escape route. Most bears will leave the area once they detect you. If the bear approaches, make yourself appear larger by raising your arms or jacket, make noise, and continue backing away slowly.
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What should you do if a bear breaks into your house?
From a safe distance, make loud noises such as shouting, banging pots and pans, or using an air horn to encourage the bear to leave. Give the bear a clear escape route by leaving doors open as you back away. Do not corner the bear in a room. If possible, get to a secure area like another room or outside while making noise. Most bears that enter homes are looking for food and will leave when they realize humans are present and making noise. Once the bear leaves, immediately remove attractants like garbage, pet food, or bird feeders to prevent return visits.
What should you do if a bear breaks into your car/ is trapped in your car?
From a safe distance, open all possible doors and windows to give the bear multiple escape routes, then move well away from the vehicle. Make noise from a distance to alert the bear to the open exits. Most bears will leave once they have a clear way out.
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What should you do if a bear charges you or engages in other aggressive behavior?
Stay calm and stand your ground. Do not run, as this can trigger a chase response. Many bear charges are "bluff charges" where the bear will stop short or veer away at the last moment. Make yourself appear larger by raising your arms or jacket above your head. Speak in a calm, firm voice. If you have bear spray, prepare to use it when the bear gets within 20-30 feet. Back away slowly only after the bear stops its approach.
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Best Practices for Living Peacefully With Our Bears
Don’t feed the bears! Black bears who come to neighborhoods for food lose their natural fear of humans over time, and may become more aggressive in their attempts to obtain food. Intentionally feeding bears increases their risk of death if they are deemed a threat to public safety.
Secure your trash cans. Bear resistant trash cans are available through this website from Athens Services. The best way to protect both humans and bears is to minimize food sources in the neighborhood, so please do your part! Put your trash cans out on the morning of trash day to avoid overnight bear scavenging.
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Avoid hanging bird feeders. Wild animal bird feeders attract bears, so avoid hanging them anywhere on your property.
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Lock your doors and keep your windows closed. Bears can open unlocked doors and climb through open windows. Bears can also open vehicle doors, so make sure to lock your car or truck.
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Haze bears who misbehave. Purchase a bear horn ($15.95 at REI) and bear spray ($47.95 at REI) to scare away bears who break into garbage cans, cars, or houses.
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Stay calm. If a bear comes into your yard or walks by and is not misbehaving, stay calm and enjoy our magnificent neighbors.