HARTFORD, Conn. — State environmental officials have recorded nearly 70 instances of bears entering homes in Connecticut so far in 2024. As bears go searching for food before hibernation, the Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is asking residents to help curb the number of encounters by refraining from attracting bears this fall.
There were over 30 reports of bears entering Connecticut homes in 2023, according to DEEP's 2024 State of the Bears report, and the 68 recorded so far this year surpasses that number by more than double. Nearly 9,800 bear sightings have been reported statewide so far this year, compared to 2,800 bobcat sightings statewide and 31 moose sightings in northern Connecticut, according to DEEP's interactive wildlife sighting map.
DEEP hopes to be proactive about preventing further bear conflicts with humans, as bears start "hyperphagia," a time of massive food intake to get ready for winter. Bears during hyperphagia can eat as much as 20,000 calories a day.
State officials are asking residents to take down bird feeders and keep trash inside to prevent bears from becoming reliant on those food sources and becoming comfortable in those areas. DEEP wants the bears to work for their food, instead of doing a day's work of gathering food in one hour. Becoming comfortable around people and associating people with food can also become a public safety threat and a property damage threat.
“Bears lose their natural fear of people when they eat food from trash, birdfeeders, grills, or other human sources; causing them to spend more time in neighborhoods and near people, creating public safety risks and increases the possibility that the bears may be hit and killed by vehicles,” said Jenny Dickson, DEEP Wildlife Division Director. “Never feed bears - don’t be the reason your family or neighbors are put in a dangerous situation. Please do your part to keep both bears and people safe.”
Intentionally feeding bears became illegal in Connecticut last year. Avoid tossing leftover food outside or putting meat scraps and sweet foods, like fruit, in compost piles.
Supervise pets outside and do not feed pets outside. Use electric fencing for protecting beehives, crops, berry bushes, chickens, and other livestock, DEEP advises.
The bird feeders can come back up in the winter months from December through late March, while the bears are in their dens, DEEP said. Don't leave leftover bird seed on the porch or in a screened sunroom, since bears can sniff them out and rip through the screens to get at them.
For more information on the black bear and tips on how to keep them away from your yard and home, click here.
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