Bear Touches Man Gardening In Westport With Paw: UPDATE

WESTPORT, CT — A man gardening outside a home in Westport had a close encounter with a bear Wednesday afternoon after the animal was spotted multiple times in the northern part of town, according to police.

Lt. Dave Wolf said police and an animal control officer responded to a home on Highland Road around 2:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a bear in the yard there, according to a news release.

The bear then moved to a second home on the same road and reportedly put its paw on a man who was outside gardening, Wolf said. The man was not injured and the bear did not act aggressively toward him, according to Wolf.

The bear later made its way to Warnock Drive and entered an unoccupied sun porch there, Wolf said.

"By the time the animal control officer arrived, the bear had left the sunroom and was sitting in the yard," Wolf said in a news release.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection assisted with monitoring the bear, which was last seen heading west towards Weston, Wolf said.

Peter Reid, the town's assistant animal control officer, emphasized the bear was acting normally and not behaving in an aggressive manner, however he cautioned against getting too close to the bear to photograph or record it, as that could make the bear feel cornered or trapped.

"At this time, there is no indication that the bear poses a threat to the community," Wolf said, "but common sense precautions should be taken."

According to Wolf, taking down bird feeders during the summer is "a good idea" as bears are attracted to them. Additionally, grills and outdoor dining tables should be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution after each use, as the smell of the food also attracts bears.

The sighting comes days after a black bear was spotted eating newborns fawns in New Canaan.

According to Allyson Halm, an animal control officer in New Canaan, the bear had tags on both of his ears, which were likely placed on the animal by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

See also: Black Bear Spotted Eating Fawns In New Canaan: Animal Control

It is unclear if the bear spotted in Westport is related to the migrating bear seen in New Canaan, however Halm noted Tuesday the New Canaan bear had likely made his way to New York.

Halm said there is an increase in bear sightings in the area at this time of year, typically young males that have been disowned by their mother and are now roaming to find a comfortable territory.

According to the DEEP website, residents who spot a black bear in their yard are encouraged to keep a distance from the animal and report the sighting. Residents can also attempt to scare the bear off by making noise, such as banging pots and pans, shouting or using an air horn or whistle.

Potential bear food sources that could attract bears to a resident's property include bird feeders, pet food, dirty barbecue grills, open compost or trash. Residents are encouraged to remove those food sources immediately if they attract a black bear, as they have incredible long-term memory and will revisit places where they have found food, even months or years later, according to DEEP.

Bear sightings can be reported to Westport Animal Control at 203-341-5076 or to DEEP here.