No lions, no tigers, but we do have bears: Animal control officer provides safety tips
Updated: Sep 3
by Mark Jahne
Editor
It’s one thing to look out the window and see a skunk, possum or raccoon in the yard. It’s something else altogether if you see a 300-pound black bear.
The Farmington Valley towns and West Hartford have been the hotbed of bear activity for many years. People who live there have grown accustomed to their presence.
These giants of the forest are slowly expanding their range. While sightings in this town are infrequent, they do live among us now, and it’s important to know what to do if you encounter one in a neighborhood, park or other setting.
They are usually spotted doing what bears do in a residential or business area – going through the garbage for food scraps and eating the contents of bird feeders. Animal Control Officer Arkadiusz Petlik advises residents to take feeders down during the summer to keep bears away. The birds have plenty of natural food available.
After 18 years as a police officer with the Newington Police Department, Petlik retired this past April, but still wanted to remain involved. He likes animals, so filling a vacancy to serve as the animal control officer was a good fit.
He also worked as a police officer in East Windsor for six years.
“I was a police K9 handler in East Windsor,” he said.
A native of Poland, he came to the United States in 1991. He explained his desire to still wear an NPD uniform while performing in a different capacity.
“I know the town, I know the people,” he said.
Petlik gained experience working alongside previous ACOs and was a K9 handler here for eight years. A private kennel the town previously utilized on Maple Hill Avenue is no longer available for storing stray or abandoned dogs, so NPD now uses the Simon Foundation’s facility in Bloomfield.
“I go there pretty much daily” to walk the dogs and attempt to find families that will adopt them. Animal control officers respond to all sorts of animal complaints.
“We have many calls, but not many bears,” he said.
A few have been seen moving around Main Street and the Berlin Turnpike. That’s no surprise to him because human development has resulted in a loss of habitat for numerous animal species. These bears are searching for food and for a romantic partner.
“June through August is mating season,” Petlik said.
The important thing is to keep a safe distance and not attract them to your home with food.
“They love birdseed, whatever is in the trash. Once they find food they keep coming back to the same spot,” he said. “People underestimate bears. People need to get used to them. They’re going to be on your property like any other animal.”
If a bear is deemed problematic, the police department will contact the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Its conservation officers will shoot it with a tranquilizer dart and move it to a safer area.
The following information is from BearWise, an organization that helps people to live safely and responsibly with black bears.
Never feed or approach bears. They will defend themselves if you get too close for comfort. A mother bear protecting her cubs can become extremely aggressive.
Bears are curious and have a powerful sense of smell. They will follow anything with an odor and investigate anything that they have learned can yield a food reward such as garbage, bird seed, pet food, beehives and more.
The best way to keep bears away is to make sure there are not any food sources on your property that will attract them. Once they find a food source, they are likely to return.
They are attracted to the burned fat and scraps of meat on barbecue grills. People are advised to thoroughly clean grills and smokers after each use and keep them covered.
To keep bears aware from the trash make sure the cans are cleaned often to reduce odors and that recyclables are rinsed and cleaned. Put garbage cans out the morning of collection, not the night before. Food should not be left in cars or trucks that are parked outdoors.
Do not feed the birds when bears are active in the area. Birds have plenty of natural food available and bears will devour the contents of bird feeders and probably destroy them in the process.
Do not store bird feed inside screened porches or in sheds. Bears will tear the screens and break windows to access this seed. Pets should only be fed indoors and food should not be placed outside for wild or stray animals or outdoor pets.
If you have fruit trees, pick the produce daily and remove any fallen fruit from the ground. Do not use fertilizers that contain blood meal or bone meal. Do not place meat, bones, fish, oil, grease, dairy products, eggshells or fruit in a compost unit.
There are certain outdoor features that are difficult to remove and that bears find attractive. These include nearby woods and dense bushes, trees and plants that produce berries and acorns, and water sources such as swimming pools, hot tubs, streams and other landscape water features.
Keep the garage door closed. Do not leave coolers with food and drinks on porches, patios, decks or in the car. Barricade crawl spaces and other areas under the house prior to hibernation season. Screen doors and window screens will not deter bears if they are following a food aroma.
It is also advised to alert your neighbors to any bear activity.
Pet owners need to know that bears and dogs do not get along. According to BearWise, more than half of the incidents involving people and black bears between 2010-2015 involved dogs. Forty-six percent of those dogs were killed or injured and 62 percent of the people were injured.
In many cases, the dogs were off leash and chased and/or cornered the bear. Those that were not killed or injured ran back to their human partner with an angry bear in pursuit.
Black bears evolved in forested habitats where they learned to respond to danger by climbing a tree or disappearing into the woods. When those options are not available, their instinct for self-preservation will lead them to defend themselves.
A dog that interrupts a bear’s meal is putting itself in danger. A person who comes between the dog and the bear is risking his or her life.
BearWise also offers the following advice on how to safely haze a bear to make it leave and give you time to remove or secure any food items that are attracting it.
• Never approach, corner or chase a bear.
• Stand in a safe place. Bring children and dogs inside.
• Be sure the bear has an escape route away from you.
• Stop hazing when the bear escapes or climbs a tree.
• If the bear approaches, do not run, it will trigger an instinct to chase you. Use bear spray repellant.
• Understand that hazing a bear is done at your own risk.
People can scare away bears by asserting dominance such as making eye contact and waving arms above the head to give a sense of being big. Noise is a powerful deterrent: yell, blow a whistle, car horn, air horn, clap your hands, bang pots and pans. Another option is to have motion-activated lights, alarms and water sprinklers.
Bears should be scared away when they are eating garbage, bird seed or pet food, near a vehicle, building, garden or campground. Do not haze a bear if it would chase the animal into the street or toward other people and animals.
Leave bears alone if they are in a natural area where they belong. Do not haze bear cubs because this will agitate their mother.
Call police animal control or another wildlife agency if the bear is highly agitated, sick, injured, approaching people or not responding to hazing.
The website wildlifehelp.org points out that wildlife agencies only euthanize bears that pose a serious threat to public safety. People are advised to call a local wildlife expert, such as police animal control, with any questions or complaints related to a specific bear and report any injuries to humans, pets or livestock.
If a person or pet is scratched or bitten by a bear a doctor or veterinarian should be called immediately. NL
If you see a bear in your neighborhood, call the police department routine phone line at 860-666-8445. The dispatcher will pass along your information to an animal control officer and/or patrol officer.