CT Bear Population Expands: Town-By-Town Numbers

CONNECTICUT — The number of black bears in Connecticut continues to rise, expanding into more communities and triggering a growing number of conflicts with humans, according to a new report released by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

The 2025 “State of the Bears” briefing outlines the agency’s efforts to manage the growing black bear population, estimated between 1,000 and 1,200 animals. The report highlights an increase in both bear sightings and encounters, including home break-ins and attacks on livestock, with state officials urging residents to remain vigilant and avoid attracting bears with unsecured food sources.

In 2024, bears were reported in 159 of Connecticut’s 169 towns and cities. Notably, sightings of sows with cubs — which indicate breeding populations — were confirmed in over 89 towns. Over the past three years, sows with offspring have been reported in 117 municipalities, showing the continued geographic expansion of the state’s breeding bear population, particularly from western Connecticut eastward.

Public reports, combined with DEEP’s collar tracking and den studies, show that most bears maintain large home ranges that can include rural, suburban, and even urban areas. GPS data from tagged bears has demonstrated overlap in territories, especially in areas with easy access to human-related food.

The report documented more than 3,000 human-bear conflicts in 2024 alone, a number that has been steadily increasing since 2015. These incidents included 67 confirmed bear entries into homes — a rate significantly higher than neighboring states when adjusted for bear population size. Over 85 percent of recent livestock-related conflicts involved backyard chickens.

DEEP attributed the rise in bear conflicts in part to the availability of human-sourced food, including unsecured trash, bird feeders, and outdoor livestock. The department emphasized public education as a cornerstone of its management strategy. Its 2024 “Be Bear Aware” campaign generated more than 10 million impressions across media platforms, promoting strategies to reduce food attractants and bear encounters.

In response to increased agricultural damage, DEEP launched a new permit program in 2024 under Public Act 23-77. The program allows farmers to remove bears that persistently damage crops or livestock after non-lethal deterrents are attempted. Fifteen bears were removed under the program in its inaugural year.

Despite a statewide ban on the intentional feeding of bears enacted in 2023, DEEP reported that local ordinances continue to play a role in managing bear attractants, such as prohibiting bird feeders during warmer months or requiring bear-resistant trash cans.

Connecticut remains one of the few northeastern states without a regulated bear hunting season, but that could change shortly, if newly proposed legislation passes in the current session.

DEEP’s report noted that while bear-related agriculture damage accounts for a small portion of conflicts, the economic impacts on affected farmers can be significant. The agency anticipates growing demand for agricultural damage permits.

Officials emphasized that coexistence remains key, recommending measures such as removing bird feeders, securing trash, and installing electric fencing around vulnerable areas. Connecticut is also a member of BearWise®, a national program aimed at helping communities live responsibly with black bears.