A 3-year-old boy was in awe when he spotted a bear cub on the other side of the glass at his Simsbury home over the weekend and a photo the family took shows the two youngsters peering at each other through the pane.
Samantha Welch said bear sightings are pretty frequent where they are, but her son, Trevor, is taking in the world in a new way now that he is 3 and couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the bear cub.
Welch said she and her husband used the moment as a teaching opportunity to ensure that Trevor knew that they were safe in the house and that he should not engage wild animals outdoors.
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Black bears have been spotted in most of Connecticut's cities and towns.
You can check the map of sightings here.
In 2023, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection had reports of bears in 165 of the state’s 169 cities and towns.
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They said bears are often seen near homes because they are looking for easily accessible food sources like garbage, bird feeders and unprotected livestock, including backyard chickens.
Data collected from female bears with GPS collars showed that, in many instances, these bears are choosing more developed areas over more rural, forested areas because of human-associated food sources, according to the state.
If you see a black bear in your yard, DEEP says to enjoy the sighting from a distance and report your sighting.
However, be sure you are not doing anything to attract the bear to your yard.
They urge residents to scare the bear off by making noise, such as banging pots and pans, shouting or using an air horn or whistle.
Then, once the bear has left the area, take a close look at your yard for potential bear food sources, such as birdfeeders, pet food, dirty barbecue grills, open compost, or trash, and remove those food sources immediately.
