Wayward Bear Forces Southington Schools into 'Secure Mode'

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A wandering black bear forced two Southington schools into "secure mode" on Tuesday morning.

Superintendent of Schools Tim Connellan said the bear was seen in the vicinity of DePaolo Middle School and was moving in the direction of Spring Lake.

The middle school and Hatton Elementary School were placed in Secure School Mode briefly, he said.
School officials were informed by police shortly after that bear had moved eastward in the direction of Rogers Orchards away from any of any schools.

Just last week, a state bear expert predicted the possibility of a few early sightings.

"With this weather, some of the bears might start getting up and foraging," said Paul Rego, a wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. "It depends on what happens with the weather in the next months."

Male bears are more apt to "get up and move around," he said.

"If there is no snow cover, then they can start looking for food," Rego said. "It is kind of hard this time of year, but if there is no snow on the ground, they could wander out to find what little food is available," he said.

He said. "If you live in an area known for a lot of bear activity, at least be on guard."

There were 96 bear sightings in Southington from Jan. 16, 2016 through Jan. 2, 2017, according to DEEP statistics.

Photo Credit: Rogers Corp.