MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – Residents are spotting bears all across the state. News 8 has been getting a bunch of Report-It pictures and videos of bears – many coming from Milford. There have been bear sightings all over the city, especially over the past week or so.
Casey Leslie was in his backyard on Monday afternoon when he saw a bear cub. It walked around his yard and he was concerned that the mother bear was nearby.
“I had a lot of people outside and just told them to get inside,” he said.
The bear came back a short while later. This time it was by Leslie’s trash cans.
“We’ve been seeing high numbers of coyotes lately, just not a black bear,” Leslie said.
City officials have been getting reports of bear sightings from all over the city – south and north of the Post Road, and even on the Post Road.
“Wildlife seems to be cropping up,” said Mayor Ben Blake. “We have a lot more sightings these days of bobcats and coyotes and bears.”
You probably expect bear sightings to occur in wooded areas, but a resident took a video of a bear walking around by Walnut Beach on Wednesday.
Blake hasn’t just heard reports about bears, he has also seen one. He took a video of a bear up in a tree.
“It’s neat to see nature in all its glory, but at the same time you have to be careful,” Blake said. “You have to be sensible.”
But those encounters with nature have some residents, like Leslie, on edge. He has been careful not to leave any trash or food outside. He has also been keeping a close eye on his yard.
“It’s shocking. It’s really shocking,” Leslie said. “I would never expect anything like that.”
City officials aren’t sure how many bears residents have been seeing around Milford. They are trying to get the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection involved. If you see a bear, officials say to stay away from it.
