Several bears were spotted in Monroe, Connecticut, over the weekend as they continue to come out of hibernation. The bears damaged residents' chicken coops, bird feeders and a fence and killed multiple chickens.
The bears were spotted near the Housatonic Trail and near Cutler’s Farm Road and some were reported to Monroe Animal Control.
Bear activity usually begins in late March. There were 8,600 bear sightings spread out over 90% of Connecticut towns last year, according to information from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The town of Avon had the most with 634 sightings.
Department officials said that residents should not feed the bears, and that they should clean and store bird feeders from late March until late fall. They should also keep dogs on short leashes when walking them outside.
When coming into contact with a bear, department officials recommend to start yelling or make loud noises and never try to get closer to the bear. They also recommend slowly leaving the area if the bear doesn’t go away and going inside if possible.
Bear sightings can be reported at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Report-a-Wildlife-Sighting or deep.wildlife@ct.gov.
