Listen: Frantic 911 Calls as a Bear Chases People in Granby

Second call begins around 1:27

Granby Police have released 911 calls from the two incidents where people were chased by a bear.

The bear, suspected to be 16-17 months old and weighing in at 120 pounds was caught Monday night and later euthanized. The bear’s remains are being evaluated at UConn for signs of rabies or other health issues that may have led to its aggressive behavior.

The frantic female caller tells a dispatcher that she was running in the area and had just got out of the entrance. She also says there may be a family in proximity to the bear.

A male also called 911 the same afternoon about the bear chasing him.

“He’s like right on top of me here,” he said to the dispatcher.

He can then be heard yelling “Go, go,” at the bear while on the phone.

“He’s a young one, he is really coming for me here,” the caller said. Sirens could be heard in the background.

The male caller was injured by bushes as he fled the bear, police said.

State and local authorities spent eight hours Monday searching for the bear and urged people to avoid the McLean Game Refuge in Granby. The bear was finally caught at 9 p.m. Monday.

Bears are becoming more common in Connecticut as former farmlands have reverted to wooded areas. At one time bear sightings were uncommon outside of the northwest corner, but corridors of wooded areas have made it easier to bears to travel to different parts of the state.

If you see a bear:

• Enjoy 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 Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division, at (860) 675-8130.

Bears are attracted to bird feeders, garbage cans, pet food and any other easy sources of food.

“If people do not take precautions, problem behavior by bears will continue to increase,
leading to bears being removed and destroyed,“ said Farmington Animal Control Officer Charlene Rogers “Simply put, a fed bear is a dead bear.”

Bears that become comfortable around people lose their natural fear and can become more aggressive, according to the National Park Service. The service also recommends people in groups gather together to present a more intimidating figure.

For more information about the Connecticut bear population and measures to take to avoid attracting bears, visit here.

Related:

Bear That Chased Two in Granby Euthanized, Being Examined at UConn