Multiple Bear Sightings In Montville; Police Issue Warning

MONTVILLE, CT — Police reported that there have been several bear sightings in town recently. The sightings match a trend statewide with bear populations increasing.

Montville police issued the following statement on Facebook regarding the bear sightings:

There have recently been multiple bear sightings in the town of Montville. Bears have been spotted in the areas of Route 85, Sharp Hill Road, Maple Avenue, Massapeag Side Road, Fitch Hill Road, the Manor, and Doyle Road. Bears have been in the area for a few years now. The picture of the bear with the white heart on its chest was taken by one of our officers in July of 2019.

As bear populations rise in Connecticut, interactions with people will rise. Bear sightings do no need to be reported to the police, although we would like to see them as much as you do! You can report all bear sightings to DEEP on their website so they can track the bear population and movement.

Bears are typically afraid of humans and will run away. Bears that are around people will lose their fear of people. The primary factor to problems with bears is easy access to food in the presence of homes. Help protect these bears by removing easily accessible foods like garbage and bird feeders. Mother bears with cubs will be aggressive to protect their offspring.

The attached link is on CT.GOV and it talks about the basics of living with black bears, the reporting, videos, and webinars regarding black bears, and a section of frequently asked questions about black bears. The website has a link to report bear sightings.

Help us protect the people, community, and bears to avoid possible dangerous interactions with wildlife so that we can continue to see these magnificent animals in our community.

We've seen the pictures posted in the community and wanted to share some of them with you. Thank you to everyone who have been posting the pictures!

Living with Black Bears (ct.gov)

Living with Black Bears

Take steps to keep black bears wild and avoid attracting them near your home.
portal.ct.gov