Bear Takes Dip in West Hartford Pool, Another Pays Visit to Family’s House

WEST HARTFORD, CT – It seems humans are not the only creatures that like to spend the summer relaxing by the pool.

West Hartford resident Mary Petras recently caught a bear on video sitting in her pool. The video was posted Tuesday to meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan’s Facebook page.

The post said the bear had scaled the fence before entering the steps of the pool, where it sat for a bit before walking away.

The video comes on the heels of an incident in which a bear got into a resident’s house through the back patio door, NBC Connecticut reported. The animal entered a man’s den before leaving through the back of the house.

The man, Jeff Grody, said he had seen about six bears in the area.

According to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection website, the primary contributing factor to bear nuisance problems is the presence of easily accessible food sources near homes and businesses. Bears’ main food sources are fruits, nuts, seeds and plants, all of which are easily found in people’s yards or gardens.

Bears should also never be fed, either intentionally or accidentally. Fed bears can become habituated and lose their fear of humans.

The DEEP website lists a number of things to do and not do when dealing with bears in the area, including:

• DO remove bird feeders and bird food from late March through November.
• DO eliminate food attractants by placing garbage cans inside a garage or shed. Add ammonia to trash to make it unpalatable.
• DO clean and store grills in a garage or shed after use.
• DON'T intentionally feed bears. Bears that become accustomed to finding food near your home may become "problem" bears.
• DON'T approach or try to get closer to a bear to get a photo or video.
• DON'T leave pet food outside overnight.
• DON'T add meat or sweets to a compost pile.

Bears also occasionally attack livestock like chickens, which can be prevented by moving livestock into barns. It is also unwise to leave pets outside alone, especially during dawn and dusk when bears are typically seen.

Image via Branford Police Department Facebook page.