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At a Tuesday, April 9 event in New Haven County in Southbury, with representatives from the National Audubon Society, speakers highlighted an important reminder to help reduce bear conflicts with people: take down birdfeeders.
DEEP officials said birdfeeders are an easy and tasty source of calories for bears. They regularly bring bears close to homes, making them comfortable in residential neighborhoods.
Human-bear conflicts continue to rise and become more severe in the state. In 2023, bears entered people’s homes 35 times. These numbers are in sharp contrast to eight years ago when bears entered homes fewer than 10 times annually.
DEEP said that you could encounter a bear no matter where you live in Connecticut, as sightings have been recorded in all 169 towns and cities.
Bears are also reproducing across almost half of the state, continuing a long-term expansion trend into more cities and towns. Just seven years ago, bears with cubs were reported in fewer than 50 towns, while over the last several years, bears with cubs have been reported in more than 90 towns.
Once bears consume "human-associated foods," including bird seed, trash, and pet food, they become comfortable near people and associate humans, houses, and neighborhoods with food, posing a greater risk to the public, DEEP said.
DEEP offers several simple steps for residents to follow to reduce the likelihood of encountering a bear. These are available on DEEP’s “Living with Black Bears” webpage.
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