Bear sightings are on the rise in Connecticut, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The latest bear sighting occurred in Plainville where an adult female bear was found wandering through the St. Joseph Cemetery and an adjoining neighborhood on West Pine Way.
"I was walking up the street and a large black bear walked right in front of me. It couldn't have been more than 30 or 40 feet away from me and she just lumbered along," said Mitch Ziolkowski, who lives in the neighborhood.
There have been many other recent sightings too: in Wolcott, Danbury, West Hartford, Torrington, Wethersfield and Rocky Hill. "The number of sightings has been increasing over the years," said Paul Rego, a wildlife biologist with the state DEEP. The bear population in Connecticut is growing and the bears are wandering into new and more populated areas, said Rego. That's led to a slightly increased number of sightings this year compared to this time last year, he said. "Having bird feeders out, having poorly stored trash, those things are welcome mats for bears," said Rego. "We do expect that bear sightings are going to be more common even in southern Connecticut and eastern Connecticut." Every year, there are about 3000 bear sightings in the state.
Photo Credit: Chris Dugo