In the six years since Madelyn Cruz moved from the Bronx, New York to Bristol, she’d never seen a bear wandering through her neighborhood.
That changed on Thursday morning when she was sitting down to breakfast with her husband and daughter.
It was around 10:30 a.m. when they noticed a bear wandering through the neighbor’s yard on Crown Street, Cruz said.
At first, they were shocked.
“I’m from the city. I’ve never seen a bear before,” Cruz said.
Then, they started filming the bear and noticed a man following behind the animal, Cruz said.
They called 911 for animal control and it seems they were not the only ones because animal control quickly pulled up to respond to the situation.
NBC Connecticut has left a message with animal control.
There were 118 bear sightings in Bristol between July 5, 2012 and May 29, 2013, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Web site.
The one the Criuz family saw this morning did not appear to be tagged.
The state has posted a list of dos and don'ts when to keep in mind if you spot a bear.
Photo Credit: Submitted by Madelyn Cruz