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" South Windsor residents are paying close attention after an adult bear and a cub were spotted wandering the streets.
Animal control officer Robin Bond estimates the black bear cub is about 3 feet long and weighs 150 pounds. The cub has been roaming neighborhoods but is not aggressive.
It's the first bear South Windsor has seen in years. Residents have been taking videos and photos of the bears as they make their way through town.
"not afraid of people".. lol.. Did the Bear charge at your sister? Did it tell you? Was it walking closer as you she was outside? The issue is the people not being smart or not educated (talking in general).. Each circumstance is different and we always never hear the details...
Maybe if it walked towards your sister, your sister was standing near a bird feeder...or a small dog was barking inside, or she was talking too loud or yelling at it, maybe there was a bowl of Frosted Flakes out, maybe an open garbage can lid, maybe a dead raccoon on the other side of her house....or maybe there was a pool and the Bear was so hot it wanted to go for a swim.
Point is.. If we are aware of our surroundings and why the Bear is near, then you can figure things out and you have to be smart and learn why triggers them to get near! They aren't a threat until you make them.
It's really sad seeing CT residents making some comments.. This isn't a tourist state or an urbanized state.. We're about nature, animals, woods and smart people...enjoy them!
I'll have to find an updated population and update this graph I made. Most of the Bears are concentrated in the NW and NE corners of our state anyway. Yet I never see them when I go hiking.
Exactly, Bears are out about because WE have encroached on nature, not the reverse. Every person crybabying about the horrible bear trampling their manicured lawn (or not) seems to have lost upon them, theirs is the piece that is unnatural. And not concerned with people doesnt translate to it attacked someone. All too easily it means the bear went about its business while clueless people panicked.
Just asking a rhetorical question..How many fear bears?? How many understand bears ( Black bears to be specific)?? How many have been actually aggressively attacked? How many watched these blcak bear scurry up trees? or into area's away from housings?...
If you all are honest No bear has attacked..nor appeared aggressive..Only injuries reported is when they (human's) approached and caused these normally peaceful animals fear..Fear is why they react..
Learn what a bluff charge means!! Many believe this is an attack..BUT no..It's a warning THEY are in fear..LEARN LEARN!!
Below are just some example of what some claim to be attacks..yet they are nothing of the sort..It's lack of understanding and fears being protracted that leads to poor reactive/responses to sighting of bears!!
This articles that is a few years old kind of explains the plight of black bears ( yes some are brown/white or brindled) Suffice to say NO Grizzlies are in Ontario Canada nor in Eastern States nor Mid-Western States..
When people see a black bear wandering through one of Muskoka’s communities, the feelings range from fright to awe, as it can be intimidating seeing an animal with big claws, big teeth and a big body nearby. Last month, the sighting of a black bear in Bracebridge prompted warning signs to be erected at Henry Marsh.
McIntosh points out that, all bears in Muskoka, even those coloured brown, are in the black bear species.
According to McIntosh, the bears are just like us in that they are probably either scared of or curious about humans. This is what McIntosh tries to teach people who believe the bears are dangerous.
“A bear that is used to people and knows what to expect from people has not been known to attack and severely injure anybody,” he says.
“From a bear’s point of view, we’re the most unpredictable thing that’s alive because some of us will talk to them, some of us will bang pots and pans, other people are very quiet and take pictures, and then there are those that will shoot at them.”
The bear is left wondering what to expect. Still, McIntosh says bears are smart enough to learn about certain human behaviours and those familiar with people will not pose a threat. McIntosh says a black bear attacking people is so rare it’s hard to study.
IF anyone truly interested on seeing bluff charges just google that under video..However have watched many..and they described bluff charge by a slap of paw..on the contrary..thats what cubs and yearlings do..adult bear will actually clack teeth first and IF no back away or back turnings..they will run abruptly towards STOP then slap..BUT will stop ( not attack)...I've seen real live video stream..so can attest to it..So believe in what I am saying 100%..after many years following these creatures from birth till getting shot by hunters ( :-()
The only two times I've heard of "unprovoked" black bear attacks in this area ever, though both incidents happen to be very recent, are : (1) the 19 year old who was killed in New Jersey while hiking this past September (though I'm not sure of all of the particulars of that incident); and (2) the two joggers who were menaced/chased by the yearling male bear at the reservoir in the Hartford area a couple of months ago. One person in that incident was bruised/banged up a bit, but again circumstances I'm not entirely familiar with (I.e., were injuries actually caused by the bear, or did the cuts and scrapes that the person suffered happen while fleeing/running away?) In both instances though, the bear was put down. I do remember seeing something on TV about an unprovoked attack/killing that happened at a state park in TN a number of years ago. I think a young child was the victim.
Bottom line, I think the possibility of an actual attack is so slim, but on the other hand they're big enough/scary enough for me to want to avoid them entirely...
The only two times I've heard of "unprovoked" black bear attacks in this area ever, though both incidents happen to be very recent, are : (1) the 19 year old who was killed in New Jersey while hiking this past September (though I'm not sure of all of the particulars of that incident); and (2) the two joggers who were menaced/chased by the yearling male bear at the reservoir in the Hartford area a couple of months ago. One person in that incident was bruised/banged up a bit, but again circumstances I'm not entirely familiar with (I.e., were injuries actually caused by the bear, or did the cuts and scrapes that the person suffered happen while fleeing/running away?) In both instances though, the bear was put down. I do remember seeing something on TV about an unprovoked attack/killing that happened at a state park in TN a number of years ago. I think a young child was the victim.
Bottom line, I think the possibility of an actual attack is so slim, but on the other hand they're big enough/scary enough for me to want to avoid them entirely...
I don't know about the NJ particulars either, but in the case of the Hartford Reservoir issue:
- younger bear, inexperienced
- humans in a state of running, know to trigger a predator response. And even then, anyone attacked? No.
As for bluff charges: thats exactly what they are, a bluff, the bear is reacting out of fear of YOU in that case.
As for the bears' plight, habitat loss due to suburban sprawl, and then clueless yuppie types types freak out with a bear walking through their yard, but, the bear was likely there first or had nowhere else to go.
As I said in a previous post, I hike, in CT and elsewhere, often. I make myself educated on the nature of black bears and what to do and not do when you encounter one.
I have in the last few years encountered 4 bears, two within thirty feet of me, by surprise. 3 walked away when given the chance, 1 bolted and ran away. I do carry bear mace as a rule and the only time I felt the need to use it was one occasion when a fellow hiker should have had their aggressive dog on a leash. The most dangerous thing in the woods is other other people, si the possible exception of a bull moose during the time of rut, around autumn.
As I said in a previous post, I hike, in CT and elsewhere, often. I make myself educated on the nature of black bears and what to do and not do when you encounter one.
Bingo. People need to get educated more and relax. I went hiking in the Adirondacks AT 4AM!! PITCH DARK.
Here's a sign that was on the trail.
That tiny blue dot on the right is my friend with his head flashlight on the trail waiting for me as I took the picture.
"Black Bears are very active in the high peaks wilderness"
The only light was from our mini flashlights or the flash from my camera. Otherwise we were hiking in the complete darkness to the left, right, back and up ahead.
We would tap our trekking pole onto the trail to make any Bears aware that we are around (YOU CANT SURPRISE OR SCARE THEM!).
We didn't see or hear any and we hiked for over an hour in the pitch dark. They were probably around. Took 4 hours to get to Summit.
Bingo. People need to get educated more and relax. I went hiking in the Adirondacks AT 4AM!! PITCH DARK.
Here's a sign that was on the trail.
That tiny blue dot on the right is my friend with his head flashlight on the trail waiting for me as I took the picture.
"Black Bears are very active in the high peaks wilderness"
The only light was from our mini flashlights or the flash from my camera. Otherwise we were hiking in the complete darkness to the left, right, back and up ahead.
We would tap our trekking pole onto the trail to make any Bears aware that we are around (YOU CANT SURPRISE OR SCARE THEM!).
We didn't see or hear any and we hiked for over an hour in the pitch dark. They were probably around. Took 4 hours to get to Summit.
education leaves you with the impression a bear whistle, or other loud sound and bear mace is plenty.
In Canton. My wife saw another one on her way to work this week. That's five bears in different parts of town of varying ages (so no the same bear) within two weeks.
In Canton. My wife saw another one on her way to work this week. That's five bears in different parts of town of varying ages (so no the same bear) within two weeks.
My wife worked from home and saw another one in our yard today. She wasn't sure if it had tags, but we've had one here over the last few years that had tags in both ears.
education leaves you with the impression a bear whistle, or other loud sound and bear mace is plenty.
Bear Mace is really not necessary IF you are educated..Observe your surroundings..Bear Poop..or claw markings..But then again those markings only mean they are marking for fellow bears during mating season..NOT towards humans!! Mating Season is Mainly Late May thru to early July..SO after that..no bear venturing into YOUR space is NOT local...IF that creates issues..maybe Information/Education will help you decide where you want to live..Good luck with that venture..
Move..Then there's alligators..then move again then there are other critters..
Puleeze..Education actually allows you to LEARN..NOT assume anything..Black bears are more afraid of YOU than visa Versa...If you hear summation..make a noise..believe me..critters will TAKE OFF. whether bears or Raccoons...
Especially if Bears wander into your neighbourhood...They are wandering to seek food lacking in their environment..So ONLY to seek sustenance ( not to eat humans) {{BTW Black Bears are herbivores ( not meat eaters)}}..Not unlike starving human's looking for food in dumpsters..
Anyway.. IF you wish to fear something that actually only hurts/threatens humans at the rate of .001%..May I suggest you never leave your home nor leave any garbage on your porch..AS Just maybe..scavenger's might want what you Throw out??
Fear of things you have no instruction/information/educations about and believe fear things pro,oted.. That's basically on you...There really is nothing better than educations in order to protect oneself..Killing or shooting at something you are afraid of isn't always the answer...And hey..You may kill a frield, neighbour ..It's not like it hasn't happened before??
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nor in Eastern States nor Mid-Western States..
