A 65-year-old man was bitten by a bear in the backyard of his Litchfield home on Saturday.
A bear entered the yard to look at bird feeders on the man’s porch, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). A dog spotted the bear and chased it; the bear then attacked the dog. The man intervened and was bitten on his hand by the bear.
He was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries, officials said. The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital. There were no updates on the dog’s condition. DEEP Environmental Conservation Police responded to the attack at 11:15 a.m. Saturday. The bear fled into nearby woods and was not found by officers.
This is believed to be the second reported bear attack in Connecticut this year. The first occurred in April in Avon when a 74-year-old woman was bitten multiple times by a bear while walking her dog.
This year, there have been more than 5,500 sightings of bears across the state, according to a wildlife tracker maintained by DEEP.
Bird feeders and trash cans are the leading causes of bear conflicts and damage reports in the state of Connecticut, according to DEEP. Bird feeders should be removed from late March through November, when bears are especially active. Unattended food sources can attract bears and lead them to associate humans with food.
As Independence Day holiday celebrations go on throughout the state, DEEP advises residents to clean barbecue grills thoroughly, and keep trash inside until collection days.
“Clean barbecue grills after use, and store grills inside a garage or shed. Don’t leave food or trash bags out unattended. Store garbage in secure, airtight containers inside a garage or other enclosed storage area,” the department said in a statement.
The Litchfield attack comes only three months after DEEP released a report showing that 2022 saw a record number of bears entering residential homes across Connecticut.
There were 67 cases in 2022. The previous record was 45 in 2020.
In 2022, there were two bear attacks in Connecticut; in one incident, a 10-year-old boy was mauled in his grandparents’ backyard in Morris.
