Tree-Climbing Bear Greets Shoppers At Westfarms Mall: Reports

WEST HARTFORD/FARMINGTON, CT — Shoppers at one of Connecticut's busiest malls also had to navigate sharp-clawed wildlife en route to a day of shopping.

That's because a black bear was found in a tree in the mall's parking lot Friday, resulting in responders cordoning off the area to keep onlookers (and the bear) safe.

WTNH Channel 8 posted a video image of the bear in a tree, a video that was reposted by the West Hartford Police Department via "X."

According to WVIT Channel 30, the bear climbed a tree near Macy's on the Farmington/West Hartford town line and then came down after about 30 minutes.

WVIT's station is located in West Hartford and is within walking distance of the mall and where the bear was found.

After calming down, the bear scurried through the parking lot, but its whereabouts are now unknown, Channel 30 reported.

This time of year, black bears are coming out of their winter hibernation and, more and more, are being seen throughout Connecticut, with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection tracking them.

For more information on bears in Connecticut, click on this link.

For the video of the bear posted by Channel 8, click on this link.

For the full WTNH Channel 8 report, click on this link.

For the full WVIT Channel 30 report, click on this link.

From March 28: 'CT Bear Population Expands: Town-By-Town Numbers'