Last Updated on November 27, 2023 by Amin Tawar
Connecticut, the south-most state in the New England region of the U.S., is known for its state parks. These state parks also host a number of healthy bears.
Bears are found across various counties in the state of Connecticut. Black bears are the only bears found in Connecticut.
Black bears are known for their shy nature, reclusiveness and often avoid being in the same place as humans. However, they will not hesitate to attack you when food or a cub comes into the picture.
As the state has an increasing number of black bears, it is important that the people living, live so following precautions to avoid any sudden and fatal encounters with these bears.
You don’t have to browse through a number of websites to get this information. Below I’ve explained everything you need to know about the Bears in Connecticut.
Are There Bears in Connecticut?
Connecticut inhabits a healthy number of Black bears. Black bears have furs with colors ranging from black to cinnamon color. They weigh anywhere from 150 pounds to 500 pounds with male bears weighing more than female bears.
During the end of the fall season, they weigh 100 pounds more as their calory intake is increased.
Black bears prefer to live in solitude. Naturally, you will find most bears in forests, around riverbeds, and woodlands where there is an abundance of plant life. Being skilled in climbing trees, bears are able to thrive in forests with deciduous and coniferous trees.
How Common Are Bears in Connecticut?
In the last 20 years, forests in the state of Connecticut have drastically increased. This has led to a rapid rise in the black bear population across the state. It is expected to even further increase in the coming years.
As per various state reports, most of the bear population lives in the outermost suburbs with more lush green forests and a sizeable number of residential homes. These two conditions combined, improve the chances for bears to find food. If there’s no food available in the forest, the Bear can easily find pet foods and garbage outside properties and consume them as snacks.
What Towns in CT Have Bears?
In the 1800s, due to rapid deforestation for setting up of farms, Bears were robbed of their natural habitat. This was a period when many bears relocated to various states or died in the process as most bears across the continent were hunted and killed as sport.
By the mid-1800s, no bears were found in the state of Connecticut. As a few years went by many of the farms were abandoned as the industrial age had begun and people went out to towns and cities to work in industries. Adding to this, many conservationists helped reforest the abandoned lands.
Soon by the late 1800s, the wildlife community and public started to get more sightings of black bears. Currently, most of the black bears are concentrated in the North-east part of the state. However, they have been spotted across almost all the counties of Connecticut including large cities like Stamford, New Haven, and Hartford.
What Is the Bear Population in Connecticut?
It may be shocking to know that most of the bears are found in the North-east part of the state of Connecticut as that’s the most densely part of the state.
However, compared to bears living in other states, Black bears in Connecticut have adapted to humans well and now prefer to have a habitat near residential houses.
As per the report, there have been about 4000 sightings of black bears across the state. Which means there may be more than at least 5000 black bears in the state.
Note that such locations provide more chances for a bear to find food. It is however risky for the bears and humans as well. But this shouldn’t lighten the fact that the bear population has increased more, and they are now moving almost everywhere across the North American continent.
Also Check Our Guide On Bears In Maryland
Are Grizzly Bears in Connecticut?
As per research, there are no Grizzly bears in the state of Connecticut. However, as black bears may sometimes have brown fur, people confuse them to be Grizzly bears.
The bigger and more aggressive version of the Black bear is the Grizzly bear. You can easily differentiate them by checking the hump.
Grizzly bears have a predominant hump, and the black bears don’t. Additionally, Grizzly bears can stand at a height of 7 to 8 ft, but Black bears are only able to reach a height of 6 ft when standing.
Throughout the continent of North America, Black bears numbers are more than the grizzly bears numbers. This could be attributed to the fact that most people preferred to hunt Grizzlies due to their size and aggressiveness.
Also, Grizzlies were more prone to attack humans than the Black bear. So many Grizzlies were killed as a measure of self-defense too.
Can You Hunt Bear in Connecticut?
Though there is a healthy population of bears in Connecticut which is constantly increasing, it is illegal to hunt or kill a bear in the state. Hunting is allowed on public or private property only if you have a license.
But few locations still prohibit the hunting of bears. Additionally, it is legal to kill a bear in an act of self-defense, though it will be reviewed by the state.
Bears rarely attack humans and by the worst luck if they do attack it is rare for it to be fatal. However, that doesn’t mean it may never happen. As more and more bear sightings have increased, people have been encountering Black bears increasingly.
Precautionary measures set up by the wildlife commission and state should be followed to avoid running into bears and to avoid attracting them near the property. These measures include securing any food items including pet food and garbage, installing an electric fence around the property, etc.
Does Bear Hibernate in Connecticut?
Black bears in the state of Connecticut hibernate similar to the bears in other states. These bears don’t hibernate full-time.
Though they build up their body and store inventory during late fall, Black bears will also leave the comfort of their den to search, hunt and consume. Note that the bears consume about 20,000 calories per day during late fall as compared to just 5000 calories per day during summer.
Black bears usually hibernate from mid-December to late February. During this time, with inventory stacked up during late fall, the bears took refuge inside a den to survive the lean winter.
Also Check Our Guide On Bears In US
Conclusion
And that was everything you need to know about the Bears In Connecticut. I hope this article was informative enough and your queries were answered.
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