There were more than 12,000 reports of bear sightings in 2025, the most Connecticut has had in decades.
Reported bear sightings are not always representative of the actual bear population, since reports of bear sightings — a measure of human behavior, not bear behavior — are linked to human population density and novelty of a bear presence. Still, reports of bear sightings in Connecticut more than doubled over the last decade, from about 4,500 sightings in 2015 to more than 12,100 sightings in 2025.
Between 1,000 and 1,200 black bears call Connecticut home, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});
According to a 2025 “Briefing on Bears” from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the bear population in Connecticut can increase due to a number of factors, including readily available food and suitable habitat.
The range of bears has also expanded, with more sightings of female bears, or sows, with offspring in recent years. The report states that the breeding population of bears is expanding into more cities and towns. Still, most sows are typically seen in western Connecticut — also the source of most bear sightings reported to DEEP.
window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});
DEEP also compiles information on bear encounters. Unlike sightings, these are recorded when a bear interferes with a person or their belongings. In Connecticut, the most common bear encounters are with trash cans, and the second most common are with bird feeders.
Residents also reported an increase in bears entering homes, a trend that the agency found “concerning” and said is a long-term pattern. As of October 2025, there were 40 home entries in 2025, according to a DEEP press release.
These house entries are not correlated to bear population. Massachusetts reported just four home entries from bears in 2024, despite having a larger bear population than Connecticut. Home entries occur because bears consume human food and birdseed and become “habituated” and lose their natural fear of people.
While black bears are currently in hibernation, there are numerous precautions Connecticut residents can take when the bears emerge this spring. Residents should avoid feeding bears or leaving food and food scraps out for bears to get into and may want to invest in bear-proof trash cans.
Bear sightings, as well as other sightings of wildlife including bobcats and moose, can be reported to DEEP on its website.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
