Allyson Halm

Black Bear Sighting on Ludlowe Road

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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.

Animal 411

Multiple Black Bear Sightings on North Wilton Road

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Following multiple sightings in town this week, New Canaan Police are reminding residents that bird feeders, compost and garbage cans left out will attract black bears. A black bear was seen on North Wilton Road at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm, and then two more were seen together on the same road in northeastern New Canaan on Wednesday afternoon. She urged residents to have hazing tools on hand, such as horns that make loud noises, and bear spray. “Knowledge about hazing is important and please do not feed bears,” Halm told NewCanaanite.com. 

She added, “A fed bear is a dead bear.”

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.

Animal 411

Animal Control Raises Concerns After Reports of ‘Friendly’ Fox Living Near the Downtown 

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Officials say the town has received numerous reports in recent weeks of a “friendly” fox living in the area of Richmond Hill Road and Park Street, raising concerns about too much familiarity with the animal. Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section, said she’s been told that “the fox shows little fear and has appeared to follow people, even those walking dogs.”

“In the photo the fox appears young, healthy and has good weight to it,” Halm said, referring to the image above. “The concern is that this fox is being fed regularly by someone which would explain the lack of fear towards humans and the weight this fox has. Wild animals that associate humans with food present a risk to all and most likely won’t end well for this fox.”

The town has seen an increasing number of foxes denning and living downtown, with known litters on Maple Street, Harrison Avenue and Lakeview Avenue. A large litter of fox kits born in Lakeview Cemetery made headlines in 2016.

Allyson Halm

Local Woman Ticketed (Again) for Off-Leash Dogs

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Police this month issued a $136 ticket to a local woman for violating a town ordinance regarding off-leash dogs in public places. New Canaan resident Amanda Coulon has incurred hundreds of dollars in fines for allowing her dogs off-leash in areas that include the high school and Waveny. She has said in the past that she doesn’t believe in the town’s dog leash ordinance. Under Section 6.8 of the Town Code: “Except in a dog run established by the Town, no person shall bring any dog into any public park, public playground, public school grounds, public parking lot, public street or sidewalk unless the dog is on a leash or lead that is no more than 25 feet in length and under the control of its owner or keeper at all times.”

Asked about the most recent incident, Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm said Coulon appeared on the morning of Nov. 10 (a Thursday) near the gravel parking area between the Spencer’s Run lot and kids’ soccer fields at Waveny.

Allyson Halm

PHOTOS: Wild River Otters in New Canaan

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Adam Biren had been living in his house on the Noroton River in southwestern New Canaan for about five years when he saw an animal along the water that looked like a small dog with a long tail. It was this past summer when the family of five river otters first showed up. The animals swim around fishing in the river, run along the side of the waterway, “frequently jumping out and getting back in,” Biren said. “My three kids love watching the otters and run to our back windows to observe whenever they make an appearance,” he said. Though most residents of Connecticut rarely see wild river otters because the species avoids contact with humans “the state’s river otter population is healthy and stable,” according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. 

“Otters are active all year and they are generally nocturnal or crepuscular (active at dawn or dusk), although diurnal activity is not uncommon,” according to the DEEP.