The Southbury Record

A limping black bear has been roaming Main Street this summer, dipping into trash cans and catching the attention of residents and local officials.

The bear has been on the radar of the town’s Animal Control Officer and also by the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

In 2024, there were reported bear sightings in 159 out of the 169 municipalities in the state, according to DEEP. In Southbury, 190 sightings were reported to the state, placing the town as the 23rd highest on the list for the year.

With 141 reported bear sightings in Southbury so far in 2025, a timely presentation on black bears in Connecticut was given by Master Wildlife Conservationist Ginny Apple at Town Hall on Tuesday night.

Wildlife advocates, like Apple, are urging residents to focus less on fear and more on responsibility.

“We can coexist with all of these animals, we just have to have better behavior,” said Apple, who gives over 100 wildlife talks per year for DEEP. “We don’t have a bear problem in Connecticut, we have a human problem”

Apple suggested ways for residents to be “bear aware” including cleaning up garbage, burning off food particles on outdoor grills after each use and avoiding bird feeders.

“It takes a little work, but if you value nature and animals, we need to have those behaviors,” she said.

Kristin Cedor, Southbury’s Animal Control Officer, says she agrees with Apple about humans’ impact on the local wildlife.

“We have to learn to live with them,” Cedor said.

So far this year, Southbury has more reported bear sightings than the surrounding towns of Middlebury (35), Oxford (50), and Newtown (35) have combined. In Woodbury, there have been 105 reported bear sightings.

Cedor added that it isn’t uncommon for newer residents to be unfamiliar with the amount of wildlife in the area.

She suggested that residents should enjoy their presence responsibly instead of rushing to call for their removal.

When a resident calls about a black bear on their property, Animal Control and a member of the Southbury Police Department usually respond with caution.

Officer Liz Rywolt with the Southbury Police Department says the town not only has an abundance of black bear sightings, but also coyotes and bobcats.

“I have had calls with Kristen, and I will pull up in my cruiser, and I’ll hit the air horn on my car and they don’t move,” said Rywolt. “We just have to be extra careful, extra cautious, and just respect their space.”

In 2017, a black bear attacked and killed a miniature horse in Southbury. The bear was not tagged or collared, and was subsequently euthanized.

Two years later, a 38-year-old Newtown man encountered a black bear while hiking in the woods near Lake Zoar and was knocked down by it. The man was able to safely get away, but was taken to Danbury Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

In contrast to other surrounding states, Connecticut does not allow bear hunting. And as of October 2023, it became unlawful to intentionally feed bears in the state.

Apple noted that among the regulations at DEEP’s disposal is the anonymous reporting of someone who has birdseed out to attract bears. She says these instances are mostly done out of self-serving purposes to see birds, bears, or other wildlife up close.

“The bears from April 1 to December 1 do not need your help, nor do birds,” explained Apple. “If you put birdseed out, you are going to attract raccoons, who are rabies vectors. You are going to attract a lot of rodents, and it’s not a good thing.”

She says when reporting happens, the resident will get a visit from the local Animal Control Officer or DEEP. If they do not comply with the order to take down their bird feeder, an escalating fine is presented.

“It’s really on us a lot to try and behave, and to maybe shame people,” added Apple. “It takes a village, really. That’s a cliché, but really and truly for us to be able to enjoy all our wildlife, we all have to cooperate.”

As for the local black bear with a limp on its right front paw, Cedor says that DEEP is aware of it but won’t do anything as of now because it’s functioning and still climbing trees.

“It’s putting some weight on and seems to be healthy,” said Cedor.

If you spot a black bear in Southbury, officials urge residents to report it via DEEP’s online reporting system.