Warren residents called for help from the state after bear break-ins and sightings this summer.
Over the last six years, 265 reports of bears entering homes have been investigated and verified by the state, according to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Now, DEEP will hold a forum on Black Bear Safety and Awareness in Warren on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection wildlife biologists as well as state Rep. Karen Reddington-Hughes and state Sen. Stephen Harding will be panelists for the bear safety and awareness forum, according to DEEP.
A bear is breaking into multiple homes in a CT town. Residents now asking state officials for help
Among the topics being discussed include the state’s growing and expanding black bear population, bear awareness and safety, how to prevent conflict and interactions with bears, how to prevent bears from entering homes and how to respond to encounters with bears, according to DEEP.
All residents are welcome to the public forum and will have the opportunity to ask questions and “get first-hand knowledge from state bear biologists about being ‘BearWise,’” according to the agency.
DEEP officials noted its Wildlife Division is a member of BearWise, a national program of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Bearwise releases a newsletter for “Action Plan for Communities in Bear Country.”
Bearwise tips for dealing with bears at home include, never to feed or approach a bear, secure food, garbage and recycling, remove bird feeders, never leave pet food outdoors and clean and store grills.
“Access to bird seed, trash, and other human-sourced food trains bears to look for food in our communities and even our homes. This learned behavior is passed down to offspring, making it critical for us to learn to be BearWise to help keep bears and people safe,” according to DEEP.
According to the 2026 State of Bears, there are “thousands of human-bear conflicts are reported each year and follow a long-term increasing trend. While greater numbers of conflicts take place in the western half of CT, residents report issues with bears across the state. Incidences of bears entering or breaking into homes occurred in 18 different municipalities statewide in 2025.”
Connecticut had three bear direct interactions with humans in 2025.
One of those attacks was a bear slashing a man’s chest outside his home in North Canaan. After an initial investigation, DEEP officials said there were bird feeders on the property. More recently, a bear came within a few feet of a boy in Torrington before being chased away by the family’s dog.
A Connecticut resident told the Courant that in one incident at her home this year, “The house was unattended for only about 45 minutes and when we came home, we saw the whole screen was pushed in on the door. We came in to discover food was everywhere. It was just a complete mess. Our cabinets had been opened and jars of food were all over the ground. We immediately came out of the house and called animal control, who told us to exit the house and wait outside in case the bear was still inside.”
State officials said they are taking steps to help address the home break-ins. They said that the home entries may not be from a single bear and that removing one bear usually does not solve the problem.
“The vast majority of the public’s bear-related issues stem from birdfeeders and trash,” according to the 2026 State of Bears.
The forum will be held Wed. Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. Warren Woods at 251 Bricks School Road.