A bear has been spotted at least five times in west Derby over the last few weeks, with three sightings on Thursday alone.
The bear spent Thursday afternoon rummaging in the woods and yards in the area of Hawthorne Avenue.
Valley Indy reader Denise Lewis said the bear was near her backyard in the area of Hawthorne, Cherry and Summit streets about 12:15 p.m.
Police were called to the scene as a precaution. The bear walked into the woods and was spotted on Hawthorne Avenue near North Avenue.
A third reader, Ana Maria, spotted the bear in Osbornedale State Park on Chatfield Street, across from the entrance to the Derby High School/Middle School campus about 8 p.m. Thursday. She sent a photo to the Valley Indy.
While bear sightings are not unusual in Connecticut — there have been 72 bear sightings in Oxford in the past year — it is unusual for this part of Derby.
Hawthorne Avenue, Coppola Terrace, nearby Cherry and Summit streets are densely populated.
Lt. Sal Frosceno said Derby police have received three bear sightings recently — not counting some of the sightings Thursday. Frosceno said state DEEP officials were notified.
In the last year there have just been two bear sightings total in Derby.
Jessica Dillon told the Valley Indy via Facebook that the bear came within 10 feet of her family on Hawthorne near North Avenue. She shared the photo at the top of this story with the Valley Indy.
The bear’s mission at that property — to get food from a bird feeder.
Bears love birdseed. If you have a bird feeder outside, take it down and secure it.
A reader on Twitter said a bear was spotted on Silver Hill Road in Derby June 18 and June 20. He shared this video:
Here are some other bear “do’s and don’t‘s” directly from the DEEP website:
Bears near your home
In wilderness settings bears usually avoid people. But food attractants near homes can cause them to grow habituated to humans and disturbances, such as dogs and other noises. Bears are attracted by bird feeders, garbage, outdoor pet food, compost piles, fruit trees, and berry-producing shrubs.
To avoid attracting bears:
- Remove bird feeders from late March through November. If a bear visits a bird feeder in winter, remove the feeder.
- Wait until the morning of collection before bringing out trash. Add a few capfuls of ammonia to trash bags and garbage cans to mask food odors. Keep trash bags in a container with a tight lid and store in a garage or shed.
- Do not leave pet food outside overnight. Store livestock food in airtight containers.
- Do not put meats or sweet-smelling fruit rinds in compost piles. Lime can be sprinkled on the compost pile to reduce the smell and discourage bears.
- Thoroughly clean grills after use or store in a garage or shed.
- Never intentionally feed bears. Bears that associate food with people may become aggressive and dangerous. This may lead to personal injury, property damage, and the need to destroy problem animals.
- Encourage your neighbors to take similar precautions.
If you see a bear on your property you can either leave the bear alone and wait for it to leave or make loud noises from a safe distance to attempt to scare the bear away. After the bear leaves the property, remove anything that may have attracted it to the area.
If you see a bear:
- Observe it from a distance.
- Advertise your presence by shouting and waving your arms or walk slowly away.
- Never attempt to feed or attract bears.
- Report bear sightings to the Wildlife Division, at 860 – 424-3011.
