Bears are making a comeback in our state and being seen more
frequently in Ridgefield. This is mainly
due to reforestation, which gives bears a wonderful natural habitat. This
is the time of year that bears start to become active again. After their winter nap, the first though on
their minds is food. Bears are
intelligent animals with keen sense of smell and hearing. They also have good memories. If they found food somewhere before, they
tend to repeatedly revisit the area. Birdfeeders,
especially those that contain black oil sunflower seeds are an immediate
draw. This is ideal food because it
contains high levels of fat and protein, factors missing in a bear’s natural
springtime food sources. If you wish to
avoid a bear incident in your yard, here are some tips to follow: Now is the time to take down your birdfeeder
and rake up all spilled birdseed. If you
compost, do not put meats or sweet-smelling fruit rinds in it. Sprinkle lime on your compost pile to reduce
the smell and discourage bears. Do not
leave pet food outside overnight and store livestock food in airtight containers. Secure
all garbage in airtight containers and store it inside a secure shed or garage. Dumpsters should have metal locking tops and
doors. Bears tend to feed at night (but
can be active during the day). Putting
out you garage in the morning for pickup will avoid overnight visits from all
forms of wildlife. Clean grills after
every use and store inside. Most
importantly: DO NOT FEED BEARS. Spreading the word and hopefully your
neighborhood will be bear free. If you
do see a bear on property, leave it alone.
Wait for it to leave and remove whatever attracted it. In order to better manage bears, the State
DEP requests that you report bear sightings to:
http://www.depdata.ct.gov/wildlife/sighting/bearsight.asp. By avoiding interactions between bears and
humans, you can save a bear’s life. When
a bear becomes labeled a “nuisance bear”, unfortunately it will likely to be
put down. Relocation has limited
results.
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