Bears used to be a rarity in West Hartford, but although they’re still a bit of a novelty, in the past few weeks residents have been spotting them all over town.

Bear in a tree in the Wood Pond neighborhood near Ridgewood Road. Photo courtesy of Kim Davis

By Ronni Newton

Bears are in the tress watching little league games, drinking ginger ale on a patio, hanging around on the fringes of an elementary school playground, being chased away by a dog, climbing trees, sauntering across streets, snatching entire bird feeders, digging through trash cans. These are stories that have been posted on Facebook in just the past two weeks.

Laika, a Boston Terrier, takes on this 350-400 pound bear by lunging at it. Photo courtesy of Kasia Dienwebel

In a story told on Facebook last month, a Boston Terrier named Laika, was out in a yard in the Mountain Road area. The property was equipped with an electric fence. When a bear came into the yard, Laika held her ground, lunging and even nipping at the 350-400 pound bear. A neighbor snapped this photo while the dog’s owner was frantically trying to lure her pet back inside.

Bears have been the talk of social media in West Hartford.

Either the bear population in West Hartford has increased dramatically, or there are a few very active and highly visible bears, or everyone has gotten much better at photographing bears, or all of the above.

Jason Hawley, who heads the bear program for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), doesn’t know for sure how many bears now call West Hartford home, but he said that the population has been growing statewide, and that includes West Hartford.

In 2014 there were 116 reported bear sightings in West Hartford. In 2015 there were 109. Already in 2016 there have been 72, and the season isn’t even half over, he said.

“West Hartford had been on the fringe of the bear range, but it’s now fully expanded into West Hartford,” he said. Although there’s not a large amount of good habitat for bears in town, many do make their home in the MDC reservoir property.

Bear sightings in West Hartford are on the increase this year. Photo courtesy of Kim Davis

In the spring the bear population, especially young males, disperses. “When they run into food sources they tend to hang around for easy calories,” said Hawley. The mother bears push out their yearlings in the spring, and the adult males push those bears to the edges of the range. The younger bears aren’t accustomed to the territory, and seem to be moving around almost aimlessly, said Hawley.

And unlike more rural towns nearby – like Simsbury, Avon, and Canton, where bears have been common for years – West Hartford residents are not accustomed to being as diligent about keeping food sources inaccessible.

“Bears are newer to West Hartford, more of a novelty. People are excited,” he said. There are more people in West Hartford, and that means more documentation of bear sightings. And it’s going to happen more and more, Hawley said.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be exponential, but the bear population could continue to grow unless food sources become inaccessible,” said Hawley.

Hawley said that bears are becoming more habituated because they are being fed – whether intentionally or unintentionally. It’s making them less terrified of people.

Hawley said that a bear knocking over a glass and drinking the ginger ale it had contained, as reported by a West Hartford woman on Facebook, isn’t normal behavior, but it’s not necessarily cause for concern. What would be very concerning, he said, is if the bear grabbed the glass out of the woman’s hand.

“Habituated isn’t necessarily dangerous, but when the bears lose all respect and fear for humans, that’s when we get concerned and take action,” Hawley said.

Hawley has been working with bears for more than 10 years, and said there’s a population of females wearing radio collars that he has gotten to know well. They have unique personalities, Hawley said, and some of their behavior is learned, while some is genetic.

Some bears may “huff” and pop their teeth when people get too close, while others seem to ignore humans. “‘Nice’ is a human word. I wouldn’t call a bear nice because it didn’t attack,” he said. “The bears are where they are because of some reward, some food.”

When the DEEP determines that it’s necessary to relocate a bear, they aren’t moved very far away. In the past bears used to be relocated to Hartland or other highly rural areas. “We move them to the nearest suitable habitat,” Hawley said. That could be as close as Penwood State Park or the MDC reservoir property.

Bears have a strong homing instinct, so relocating may be very temporary, Hawley said.

Hawley offered some suggestions to keep the bears at bay: Bird feeders should not be out past late March. Grills should be cleaned after use. Garbage bins should be kept in the garage as much as possible, or sprinkled with ammonia. Avoid adding sweet-smelling items to compost piles.

Some people like seeing bears, and if they’re in the woods behind your house, it’s okay to just watch them, he said.

If a bear gets too close, a compressed air boat horn works well at scaring them away, as does yelling loudly out the window. “You don’t want them to feel too comfortable. Most important is making food sources inaccessible,”said Hawley. Some people feed bears because they want to see them, but that ultimately harms the bears and has a negative impact on other residents.

Bear sightings should be reported to the DEEP through an online form. The DEEP has also produced a fact sheet about black bears.

In certain situations, the DEEP dispatch line (860-424-3333) should be called immediately. Hawley said to call DEEP if:

• You have had significant property damage caused by a bear– more than just getting into garbage cans or bird feeders.
• A bear seems to be showing signs of aggression or bluff charging. Bears don’t suddenly become dangerous, Hawley said.
• A bear has been injured.
• A bear has caused injury to other animals. Chickens left out at night are vulnerable, he said.

“Bears are here to stay. They’re not going anywhere,” said Hawley. He said that’s a good thing.

“People and bears just need to co-exist, but it takes effort.”

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