Bears Now A 'Common' Part Of Farmington's Landscape: Officials

FARMINGTON, CT — Farmington-based real estate agent Lisa Valente Fagan posted a video on social media Tuesday morning showing a black bear meandering through her yard.

"Good morning little bear," was the caption.

Such is life in Farmington these days.

OK ... in recent history.

For the past five or so years, the town has averaged more than 400 bear sightings a year, according to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection statistics, numbers that have kept it at the top — or near the top — of the charts in the state.

DEEP officials have said over the years that bears use the rights of way under power lines as a highway system and neither they nor Farmington Animal Control officer Brenda Betcher can offer a scientific reason why the town has become a stopping depot.

But the bears are in Farmington and sightings often turn into popular social media posts.

The infamous bear who helped himself to a trash buffet in a Farming driveway in February 2020 has achieved folklore status. Betcher said this week it's still the one she remembers most (see the account here).

"He's was a lot of fun to watch," Betcher said.

That aside, she urged residents not to become complacent for the entertainment value and urged them to secure trash cans (in defense of the resident the bear in 2020 did use initiative and tip it over), limit locations and bird feeder access and keep grills clean so the bears have no added incentive.

DEEP officials said that the state has more than 7,000 bear sightings annually because many homes are in or near bear habitat.

The bear population is "healthy and increasing" in Connecticut, they said.

Bears spend time in neighborhoods because food sources are abundant and easy to access and will come back to a location if convinced the food will be there, DEEP officials said. Bears that are attracted to human-associated food sources may lose their fear of people, DEEP Officials said.

Getting used to the bears has arguably become easy, Betcher added. Bear sightings in Farmington have become so common that the calls to the local animal control department have diminished because some consider them commonplace, she said.

Betcher said she usually responds to bears that have become a nuisance to humans, a fact DEP term for them hanging out in a populated area while folks are around. Still, she urged all sightings to be reported to her office or to the DEEP. Sightings can be reported to the DEEP here.

State wildlife officials do use the reports for tracking purposes.

"I used to be, 'Wow' when a bear passes by, but not so much anymore, because residents are so used to it now," Betcher said. "But we shouldn't do anything to attract bears and we should report them when we see them."