Large Black Bear Spotted Close To Bethel Homes

A large black bear was spotted numerous times in Bethel on Wednesday in the area of Route 58 and Codfish Hill Road.

The bear was seen in the back yard of a Codfish Hill resident’s home, just about 50-100 feet from their back door (see photo). Another homeowner also spotted the bear Wednesday between #35 and #47 Codfish Hill Road.

Kristen Terzian said she received a letter in her mailbox Wednesday from her neighbor stating that a bear was on their road, Long Meadow Lane, and that it went in the Nashville Ext. direction.

Earlier this summer bears were spotted in Bethel on Winthrop Road. In nearby Weston, the town’s Animal Control Officer Mark Harper issued a warning for residents to be alert because a number of residents had spotted a lot of bears.

“They’ve been spotted in the road and eating people’s lawns. While there haven’t been any ‘scary’ things reported yet involving the bears, we do want residents to take caution if they come across them,” Harper said.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection states that black bears have a very keen sense of smell and can detect the slightest aroma of food, which may lead the bears near homes and campsites. The CT DEEP gives the following tips 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, at 860-424-3011.

For more facts on black bears from the CT DEEP, click here.

If you see a bear in your area, call 9-1-1 if you feel threatened, otherwise, for bear sightings, report it to the CT DEEP’s Wildlife Division, at (860) 675-8130.

Related:

Have You Seen Black Bears in Bethel?

Photo: M. Gilmore, Bethel