Monroe's First Black Bear Sighting of Spring

A Hemlock Lane woman told police she and her husband went out for a late night smoke on their deck at 10:30 p.m. on April 1, when they saw a black bear in their yard. The animal immediately fled back into the tree line heading north west, according to the report.

Monroe Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said there were not attractants in the yard, adding this is early for a black bear to be passing through.

"It's usually in June and July when young males are seeking females for breeding," he said.

Risko said black bears pass through Monroe along the Route 25 corridor every year, because of the water along the route.

The Hemlock Lane couple was given a black bear fact sheet with common cautions and Risko said residents on Hemlock and Ridgewood were contacted and interviewed, but no other sightings were reported.

A Black Bear Report Form

Risko showed Patch a Connecticut Wildlife Division Black Bear Report Form people are asked to fill out when they see one.

Fields to fill out include:

• Date of observation
• Time of observation
• Town where the bear was observed
• Exact location (street address, closest intersection, landmark)
• How many bears did you see?
• Did the bear have ear tags?
• If you saw ear tags, briefly describe the color and any numbers/letters you could see on the tags.

The form asks people to call the Wildlife Division's 24-hour hotline if they need immediate assistance concerning a black bear, 860-424-3333, and for contact information if division staff members need more information.

Bear Ear Tags

A black bear caught by the Connecticut Wildlife Division receives a tag in each ear as part of a project researching the state's bear population.

The color used to mark the bears is changed every year. For example, a bear with red tags was handled in 2007, yellow in 2008 and white in 2009.

If a bear has only one tag, that means it somehow lost one, possibly due to fighting or snagging it on brush, according to the Connecticut Wildlife Division.