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Bear Spotted Wandering Around Weston, Animal Control Officer Says

WESTON, CONN. -- Bear sightings have been reported from all corners of Weston, Mark Harper, the town’s animal control officer, said on Friday.

A black bear cub was treed in Fairfield recently.

A black bear cub was treed in Fairfield recently.

Photo Credit: Fairfield Police Department

A similarly wayward bruin was spied in Fairfield last week. Eventually treed, it was tranquilized and carted off.

Even though Weston’s bear appears to be scared of people and pets and retreats to the woods when spotted, it should never be confronted or approached, Harper said.

If you see it, stay put in your house or car. If you’re outside, get inside. Do not run, but back up slowly. However, Harper said, if the bear approaches you, make as much noise as you can by yelling and screaming.

If the bear is trying to get in your house, call 911.

If you see the bear, call Animal Control at (203)-222-2642, or the Communications Center at (203)-222-2600.

If you must take pictures to back up the sightings, do it from a safe location and email them to bigbear10@optonline.net.

Last week Dennis Schain, communications director of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, told Daily Voice that bears are less common in suburban Fairfield County than the northwest corner of the state.

However, according to the department's website, the bear population has made a "comeback" in recent years and young bears are branching out in search of their own territories.

According to the Daily Voice report, the Fairfield bear spent the day hanging around Greenfield Hill and the Fairfield University area before ending up in a tree on Denise Terrace. It was trapped and taken to a more suitable home in the wild.

Other communities reporting bear sightings include: Danbury, Darien, Norwalk and Greenwich.

The town will be posting updates with more information as the situation develops, Harper said.

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