Submitted by Stephanie Warren, Killingworth Conservation Commission
(April 19, 2025) — “Guess who I spotted in the woods behind the house,” Mr. Black Bear said to his spouse. “I saw the creature on two legs who stays in the house,” he said. “The two-legged looked good, but not really too edible!”
What? Yes. Live in Connecticut, and this can happen. Bears are moving into more developed areas as we humans (the two-leggeds) develop more of what had been the natural habitat for bears, as well as many other wildlife species.
Did you know that August is the main bear mating season and that black bears can be more aggressive toward humans during that time if they feel potential danger? Then, generally from September through October, in preparation for “sleeping” during hibernation, bears will do extensive food hunts.
According to Kids Britannica (website link shown below), “Prior to winter sleep, bears must accumulate large quantities of body fat during late summer and fall. This enables them to survive the long period of winter fasting. It also allows them to have sufficient energy in spring when they emerge and food is scarce. They do calm down and then, as most of us know, settle into hibernation during the cold months.”
Black bear cubs (called yearlings) are usually born between January and February, in the den where the mother bear is wintering. They’ll stay with their mom until they are about a year-and-a half old, during which time they will learn how to be self-sufficient and develop good survival skills.
Black bears are not generally spontaneously aggressive towards humans, but mother bears are always on alert for the safety of their cubs and can become aggressive if they think the cubs are in danger. Avoid walking alone or in secluded, wooded areas. Carry bear spray and use other precautions to ward off a bear that threatens you, as recommended on the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) website at ct.gov.
Over decades, bears have become used to humans and can be seen in rather close proximity to houses (sometimes even on a porch or breaking into a house). There are things that you can do to avoid human-caused conflicts with black bears.
- Never feed bears.
- Keep trash cans inside a garage or other enclosed area.
- Remove birdfeeders and bird food from March through November.
You can find a full “Be Bear-Wise Checklist” on the DEEP website. A conservation goal is to help us learn how to live safely with the bears that also live in our area. Here are some website references with more information:
- https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/black-bear/317590
- https://portal.ct.gov/deep/wildlife/living-with-black-bears
