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Bear Drops In At Backyard, Country Club In Greenwich

GREENWICH, Conn. -- Bears were spotted in two different locations on two different days over the holiday weekend in Greenwich, police said.

A homeowner captured this image of a black bear on Birch Lane in Greenwich over the weekend.

A homeowner captured this image of a black bear on Birch Lane in Greenwich over the weekend.

Photo Credit: Greenwich Police Department

The first sighting was in a backyard on Birch Lane in the late evening of Sunday, May 24. The second was on the property of the Burning Tree Country Club early in the morning of Monday, May 25, said Lt. Kraig Gray, public information officer for the Greenwich Police Department. In both instances, the bears were spotted from a distance, and they had no contact with people or pets, Gray said in a statement.

Bear sightings in Greenwich are rare, he said. But they are spotted, and their return is due, in part, to the regrowth of forestland throughout the region after the abandonment of farms during the late 1800s, Gray said.

Black bears travel and feed primarily at night but can be active any time of the day, he said. They are generally shy and secretive and usually fearful of humans, Gray said.

However, if black bears regularly find food near houses and areas of human activity, they can lose their fear of humans, Gray said. Unlike grizzly bears, black bears are seldom aggressive toward humans, he said.  

The State of Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Bear Fact Sheet explains that the best way to manage a bear sighting is:

  • Enjoy the  bears from a distance.
  • Advertise your presence by shouting and waving your arms or walk slowly away.
  • Never attempt to feed or attract bears.
  • Report bears sightings to the Wildlife Division at 860-675-8130.

For more information about bear in Connecticut go to the DEEP website at here.

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