A Message from our First Selectman: Bear Sightings

BEARS in them thar hills!!!

April showers bring May flowers, and wake up the slumbering Ursus Americanus.  Black Bears are out and about and have been sighted in local neighborhoods.  It’s one thing to clean up after a Raccoon (cute) or a Possum (endearingly homely) has rifled through the garbage.  Black Bears represent a whole 'nuther order of magnitude on the scale of wildlife / human interaction.

Our wildlife neighbors have discovered that where humans habitate there’s easy pickins at mealtime.  But while our smaller visitors are generally willing to retreat when we disturb their picnic, a several-hundred-pound Black Bear may be willing to challenge our authority.

Don’t even think about it!

Much of Connecticut is now forested and is suitable for black bears. The rapid increase in the bear population is expected to continue. As the bear population expands, interactions between humans and bears will increase.  People should learn what to do if they see a bear and how to avoid unnecessary conflicts by keeping food away from bears.

If You See a Bear:

Observe it from a distance. 

Advertise your presence by shouting and waving your arms or walk slowly away. 

Never attempt to feed or attract bears. 

Report bear sightings to the Wildlife Division (or call 860-424-3011).

For tips regarding Human / Bear interaction, follow this link to the Wildlife Division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

 https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Fact-Sheets/Black-Bear