AVON, Conn. — Avon police are reminding its residents and everyone throughout the state to be bear aware.
On Monday morning, they said a black bear tried to enter a home on Deepwood Drive but the break-in did not go as planned.
This incident is the second time in two weeks Avon has seen a bear incident.
On April 21, EnCon Police said a 74-year-old woman was attacked by a bear while walking her dog on Berkshire Crossing.
For the bear that was spotted Monday morning on Deepwood Drive, residents said it is a frequent visitor and their biggest concern is the bears have come more habitual.
Avon police said the bear tried to enter through the homeowner's screen door but ran into the woods before officers arrived.
A neighbor told FOX61 that the same bear crossed into her backyard. She snapped several photos of the bear without having to get too close.
"He walked through our yard, past our chickens, stopped at the chickens for a little bit, and kept going to our neighbor’s yard where he actually found something in the neighbor’s yard that he was sniffing for a while," said Vicky Dicenso of Avon.
Most would find bears to be a nuisance, but Dicenso said she welcomes the wildlife. In fact, she gets visits from bobcats, foxes, deer, and a large hawk.
"I think he’s great. I think he’s beautiful. I love animals so I don’t have a problem with bears," added Dicenso.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said human-bear conflicts have continued to increase.
Just last year, bears entered people's homes 67 times in Connecticut, far surpassing the previous record of 45.
These numbers are a sharp contrast to just seven years ago when bears entered homes less than ten times each year.
"It is scary to know they’ll come into the house," said Victoria Krause of Avon.
For Krause and her boyfriend, dealing with bears is not their first rodeo.
In fact, just two years ago, the couple had a bear enter their home, ate a few birthday cupcakes and exited through the back door.
The bear left their home in shambles with significant damage inside and outside.
On Monday morning, Krause said she saw another bear in their backyard but was not sure if it was the same black bear on Deepwood Drive.
"The bear was right there in the garbage. It didn’t run away. It doesn’t move. You could make loud noises, slam the door … they’re not scared anymore!" added Krause.
Lawmakers like Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw are in talks with DEEP about bear hunting legislation.
"There’s talk of fining people for feeding bears and there’s also talk about making it more clear as to what farmers can and cannot do to protect their livestock," said Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw of the 17th District.
Even though bears have become more stubborn to humans' cues to being shooed, DEEP said people should still never approach a bear. Instead, try shouting or making loud noises at them first.
Carmen Chau is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at cchau@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
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