Black Bear Seen On Fairfield Golf Course

FAIRFIELD, CT — A black bear was seen last week in Fairfield.

“There was a juvenile black bear on Hoydens Hill Lane last night around 7:30,” Colin Gilbert wrote Friday in a post on Fairfield Patch. “He meandered across the street from the driving range onto the Smith Richardson golf course. Golfers and dog walkers keep an eye peeled up there.”

Bears were a common sight during the summer in Fairfield, where the animals were spotted going through trash and eating off bird feeders. Among them was the late “Bear 211.” Named for the number on its state-administered ear tags, the animal made headlines and inspired a Facebook group as it traversed Connecticut, swimming in a pool, playing with toys and relaxing in a hammock before its untimely death following a July vehicle crash.

While bear sightings are on the rise in Connecticut and there have been 39 reported in Fairfield so far this year, reports should slow down soon, as the animals typically den from late November until mid-March, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Bears are attracted to food and garbage, the department said, so residents are encouraged to take down bird feeders from March to November and to keep garbage cans in a garage or shed.

"If a bear is seen in your town or neighborhood, leave it alone," the department website said.

Bears in densely populated areas warrant a call to either the department's Wildlife Division during business hours at 860-424-3011 or its 24-hour dispatch at 860-424-3333. If the animal is behaving aggressively or refusing to leave a residential area, people should contact Fairfield police at 203-254-4800.

For more information, visit portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Nuisance-Wildlife/Living-with-Black-Bears.