New Canaan’s Animal Control officer is urging residents to be mindful of unintentionally leaving food sources out in their yards after a black bear attracted to a bird feeder was spotted on a Ludlowe Road property late Tuesday.
The bear sighting is the sixth reported so far 2023, all of them on the east side of town, according to Officer Allyson Halm.
In a perfect world, bird feeders “should be put away at dusk or put on a pulley system so you can raise them away from a bear’s reach, far away from the house, if possible, because if a bear gets curious—and they are curious—and there’s food and a back door open, that could be a problem,” she said. “It goes for any type of food source. It’s really important not to feed your dog or cat outside and to understand that a bird feeder will attract them, as will chickens and beehives.”
The last series of black bear sighting reports that Halm received were up on North Wilton Road in January, she said, and in those cases the animals appeared to be attracted to garbage bins.
The bear sighted on Ludlowe this week likely was a young male seeking to establish his “territory,” Halm said.
“They sort of roam around and because the winter was mild, bears don’t truly hibernate,” she said. “It’s called ‘torpor’ and it’s really just heavy naps. So if there’s a food source available, no matter what time of year, they will go for it. That’s what happened in January. It was so mild out that there was no reason for them to shut their system downs. So we saw sightings throughout the winter and now it’s spring and they’re ready to go.”
Halm’s tips on coexisting with black bears include:
- Do not hang bird feeders on porches, decks or patios.
- Take bird feeders in at dusk.
- Keep garbage cans in the garage or locked shed and only put garbage out the morning of pick up
The number of black bears appearing in New Canaan each year has been rising in recent years, Halm has said.
Black bears typically breed in late June or early July, according to the state. During that time, males travel extensively in search of females. In New Canaan, bear sightings are reported to police all throughout town. “Young are born in the den in late December through early January and are blind, toothless, and covered with fine hair,” according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “Cubs weigh 6 to 12 ounces at birth, about the size of a can of soda. Litter sizes range from 1 to 5 cubs, with litters of 2 or 3 being most common in Connecticut. After giving birth, the sow usually continues her winter rest while the cubs are awake and nursing. Only females rear the young, which typically remain with the female until the second spring of their lives. Then, the young bears (yearlings), especially the males, may travel great distances in search of their own territories. Yearling females frequently settle near their mother’s home range. Young bears are often forced into less preferred habitat.”