After a woman was clawed by a bear in the foothills of Monrovia, California, a news reporter covering the incident had a close call on camera, WBOY reported.
What's happening?
According to KABC, a Monrovia woman was "clawed by a bear" while walking her dog on March 14.
A neighbor called 911, and police said the woman was treated at a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Neighbor Julie Strople walked her dog not long before the bear encounter occurred, and she also encountered a bear.
"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 recalled.
On Sunday, March 15, WBOY reporter Erin Meyers visited the scene to cover the bear encounter — and as the cameras rolled, Meyers herself encountered a bear in a remarkable moment of live coverage.
When Meyers began speaking, a large bear was visible in the upper right corner of the frame, half-hidden by a trailer parked in the driveway of a home. The footage switched back to anchor Megan Telles at KTLA's studio, and viewers could hear the news team's shocked gasps.
"And, yes, we all see that bear off to the right side," Telles acknowledged, before an unidentified KTLA personality's extremely loud gasp cut her off.
"I see it now," a startled KTLA personality said from off-screen.
Why is this concerning?
In initial news coverage of the bear encounter in Monrovia, residents in the neighborhood reported frequent bear encounters — but Meyers' on-screen near-miss was alarming.
Within seconds, a bear appeared behind a clearly unsuspecting Meyers, and everyone in the studio was audibly terrified.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
|
Which of these savings plans for rooftop solar panels would be most appealing for you?
Click your choice to see results and earn rewards to spend on home upgrades. |
Save $1,000 this year 💸 It was clear to viewers that Monrovia is indeed a hotspot for bear-human encounters, but dangerous instances like it are becoming increasingly common, according to the BBC.
The BBC explained that rapid land development and rising temperatures caused by human activity are two factors increasing the likelihood that humans and wildlife will cross paths in residential areas — the latter of which was an apparent factor in Monrovia.
On March 17, KABC reported that an unseasonal "early burst" of warm weather might be "driving wildlife into neighborhoods," citing an unrelated encounter between a person and a mountain lion in Oxnard and an incident during which a bear broke into a kitchen in Claremont.
What's being done about it?
At the end of the segment, a still rattled Meyers provided a key piece of advice for people who might encounter a bear, as she had.
"Keep your distance ... you saw it, it looked at us and then walked away," she said.
Meyers also recommended bear-safe trash bins, one of several Bear Safety Tips from the Monrovia Police Department.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
