Community Corner
Newtown in Top 10 for 2018 Bear Sightings in CT
The number of bear sightings increased significantly across Connecticut in 2018.
NEWTOWN, CT — The number of bear sightings increased significantly across Connecticut in 2018, with New Milford claiming more than its share.
The latest figures from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection cover the period from Jan. 8, 2018 to Dec. 12, 2018. During that at time, 8,937 bears were spotted, with 230 of them sighted in Newtown.
Perennial bear-sighting stalwarts Simsbury (597), Farmington (542), Avon (460) and Granby (403) lead the list, with Newtown coming in at ninth place.
Find out what's happening in Newtownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Note that bear-sightings are not the equivalent of a bear population, as one bear will likely be sighted multiple times. DEEP estimates the total bear population in the state to be around 800. Should you spy a bear is in a densely populated area, contact the DEEP Wildlife Division (860-424-3011, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM) or DEEP Dispatch (860-424-3333, 24 hours) to report the sighting and obtain advice.
Here's the complete 2018 Connecticut Bear Watch Countdown:
Find out what's happening in Newtownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
| Reports | Town |
|---|---|
| 597 | Simsbury |
| 542 | Farmington |
| 476 | Avon |
| 403 | Granby |
| 392 | Torrington |
| 329 | Burlington |
| 311 | New Milford |
| 236 | Bristol |
| 230 | Newtown |
| 224 | Canton |
| 214 | Litchfield |
| 213 | Harwinton |
| 211 | Brookfield |
| 204 | Southbury |
| 204 | Winchester |
| 201 | New Hartford |
| 199 | West Hartford |
| 148 | Barkhamsted |
| 142 | Woodbury |
| 134 | Windsor |
| 132 | Thomaston |
| 126 | Plymouth |
| 123 | Hamden |
| 120 | Salisbury |
| 116 | Bloomfield |
| 115 | Redding |
| 104 | Watertown |
| 97 | Goshen |
| 94 | Southington |
| 90 | Oxford |
| 87 | Danbury |
| 81 | Wolcott |
| 80 | East Granby |
| 75 | Middlebury |
| 74 | Sherman |
| 74 | Waterbury |
| 73 | Roxbury |
| 69 | New Fairfield |
| 65 | Kent |
| 63 | Bridgewater |
| 62 | Cornwall |
| 62 | Sharon |
| 57 | Suffield |
| 56 | Madison |
| 55 | Washington |
| 53 | Bethlehem |
| 53 | Monroe |
| 51 | Plainville |
| 50 | Berlin |
| 49 | Cheshire |
| 39 | New Britain |
| 39 | Windsor Locks |
| 34 | Bethel |
| 34 | Hartland |
| 34 | Warren |
| 32 | Guilford |
| 31 | Norfolk |
| 31 | Woodbridge |
| 30 | Bethany |
| 28 | Morris |
| 24 | Killingworth |
| 23 | North Haven |
| 23 | Seymour |
| 21 | Canaan |
| 21 | Easton |
| 20 | Colebrook |
| 20 | Meriden |
| 19 | Glastonbury |
| 17 | Portland |
| 17 | Ridgefield |
| 15 | Colchester |
| 14 | Hartford |
| 14 | Naugatuck |
| 13 | Bozrah |
| 13 | Chester |
| 13 | Cromwell |
| 12 | South Windsor |
| 11 | East Hartford |
| 11 | North Canaan |
| 11 | Wallingford |
| 10 | Shelton |
| 10 | Stafford |
| 10 | Thompson |
| 10 | Tolland |
| 9 | Lyme |
| 9 | Montville |
| 8 | East Haddam |
| 8 | Greenwich |
| 8 | Haddam |
| 8 | Marlborough |
| 8 | Middletown |
| 8 | Newington |
| 7 | Manchester |
| 7 | Salem |
| 7 | Trumbull |
| 6 | Beacon Falls |
| 6 | East Hampton |
| 6 | Wethersfield |
| 5 | Clinton |
| 5 | New Haven |
| 4 | Ansonia |
| 4 | Derby |
| 4 | East Lyme |
| 4 | Ellington |
| 4 | Fairfield |
| 4 | Killingly |
| 4 | Stamford |
| 4 | Union |
| 4 | Waterford |
| 4 | Woodstock |
| 3 | Branford |
| 3 | Coventry |
| 3 | Hampton |
| 3 | Lebanon |
| 3 | Prospect |
| 3 | Somers |
| 3 | Wilton |
| 2 | Brooklyn |
| 2 | Canterbury |
| 2 | East Windsor |
| 2 | Enfield |
| 2 | Norwich |
| 2 | Old Saybrook |
| 2 | Pomfret |
| 2 | Rocky Hill |
| 2 | Vernon |
| 2 | Weston |
| 1 | Andover |
| 1 | Bridgeport |
| 1 | Chaplin |
| 1 | Columbia |
| 1 | Eastford |
| 1 | Essex |
| 1 | Griswold |
| 1 | Groton |
| 1 | Hebron |
| 1 | Ledyard |
| 1 | Mansfield |
| 1 | New London |
| 1 | North Stonington |
| 1 | Norwalk |
| 1 | Orange |
| 1 | Plainfield |
| 1 | Preston |
| 1 | Putnam |
| 1 | Scotland |
| 1 | Voluntown |
| 1 | Westport |
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