In a recent incident in Winsted, Connecticut, a car owner found themselves in a peculiar situation when an adult black bear and cub became trapped inside their vehicle. The scene was chaotic, with the horn blaring and the radio blasting as the bears thrashed about. A second cub was seen running around in distress outside the car, adding to the commotion.
State environmental conservation police were promptly contacted and arrived on the scene. They managed to open a door, allowing the two bears inside the car to escape into the safety of the nearby woods. Fortunately, all three bears emerged unharmed, but the car's interior bore the brunt of the ordeal, being completely torn apart by the curious animals.
This incident is just one of several recent encounters involving bears in Connecticut, signaling a rise in the black bear population in the state. In a separate incident, a woman in Cheshire reported being bitten by a black bear in her backyard, resulting in minor injuries. The bear was subsequently located and euthanized for testing purposes.
Another bear, weighing nearly 500 pounds, met a tragic end after being struck and killed by a car on a highway in Torrington. These events highlight the increasing interactions between bears and humans in Connecticut, a phenomenon that was once rare but is now becoming more common.
Bears have been known to break into cars, trash bins, and even homes in the western U.S. for years. However, such occurrences were uncommon in Connecticut until recently. Reports of bears entering homes, damaging vehicles, and even engaging in non-fatal attacks on humans have been on the rise.
State officials emphasize the importance of securing human-sourced food and keeping car doors locked in areas where bears are present. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection estimates that there are currently 1,000 to 1,200 bears in Connecticut, with sightings reported in all 169 towns, particularly concentrated in the state's northwestern corner.
