Have You Seen Black Bears in Brookfield?

By WENDY ANN MITCHELL (Patch Staff)

It’s breeding season for black bears and locals have been seeing an increase in numbers in recent weeks.

Weston’s Animal Control Officer Mark Harper issued a warning Wednesday on the town’s website that residents have spotted a number of bears in all parts of town recently.

Harper said the bears are more scared of you and your pets than you are of them and that if you see one, you should not run, “just back up slowly” and wave your arms to make yourself look bigger.

“I’ve received 35 calls in the last three days about bears. They’re all over town. 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 reports that between July 2, 2014 and June 25, 2015, there has been 5 sightings in Brookfield.

There has been 4,111 sightings so far since last June across the state, with the highest number in Avon, 420, and Burlington, 314.

The CT DEEP states that breeding occurs during summer months, usually in late June or early July. During this time, males travel long distances in search of females. Black bears also have a very keen sense of smell and can detect the slightest aroma of food, which may lead the bears near homes and campsites.

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.

Photo: Tim Lumley, Flickr Creative Commons