Report: Bear Sightings Are on the Rise in Connecticut

Uh-Oh, Boo-Boo, you are seriously making your presence known in Connecticut. The Department of Environmental & Energy Protection has some startling stats.

As I began to research this story, I was honestly surprised by the number of black bear sightings reported all around Connecticut in the last year. Did you know that the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection keeps a data sheet? The newest one reflects sightings from Jan.19, 2016 up to Jan. 2, 2107.

While many towns are in the single digits, numerous are in the triples. Avon had a whopping 600 reports of Black Bear activity, Danbury's number was significantly lower at 48, Brookfield checked in with 64, and Bethel had 16 reports.Curious about your town? Go to depdata.ct.gov for the full listing.

In a story from ctpost.com, the numbers from last year show that sightings in Connecticut continue to rise. State officials say that with nearly 67-hundred bear sightings in Connecticut last year, that represents an increase of ore than 20 percent over the previous year.

Boo-Boo Bear isn't totally hanging out in the honey patch anymore, but also traveling into many large cities like Hartford, Waterbury and Norwalk. For information like Bear Do's and Don'ts , and answers to numerous questions click on ct.gov because it's highly unlikely the bears are going to disappear any time soon.

Word to the wise. Don't do what a family friend of mine did. She put a fresh baked pie out on the screened in back porch to cool and found Mr. Bear standing there with a happy rhubarb smile on his face.

Listen to Pam Brooks weekdays from 10-3PM on 95.1 FM, online at i95rock.com/listen-live/ or by downloading the radioPup app for your mobile device.