Black Bear Sightings Rise In Farmington
- New state data shows multiple black bear sightings reported in Farmington as activity rises across Connecticut in 2026. - The article tallies how many bears have been seen so far and where encounters occurred in town. - Officials remind residents to secure attractants and follow safety guidance amid increasing sightings (patch.com).
Farmington has logged 61 black bear sightings so far in 2026, according to new Connecticut state data. (patch.com) Patch reported that tally on April 16, citing the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as bears emerge from winter dens and begin searching for food. The agency’s public wildlife viewer says the map reflects current-year reports submitted by the public and reviewed by staff. (patch.com) (ctdeep.maps.arcgis.com) Across Connecticut, the statewide count had already passed 900 by mid-April and topped 1,200 by April 20, according to Patch and Connecticut Public. Hearst Connecticut Media, via Yahoo, reported 1,049 sightings across 105 municipalities as warmer weather spread across the state. (patch.com) (ctpublic.org) (yahoo.com) State officials tie the spring spike to bear behavior, not a one-off local event. Connecticut’s black bear population has been growing since the 1980s, and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection estimates there are about 1,000 to 1,200 bears statewide. (ctpublic.org) (portal.ct.gov) The state says sighting reports are not the same thing as a population count. They show where bears are being seen, and reporting levels can rise or fall depending on how often residents notice and submit sightings. (patch.com) (ctdeep.maps.arcgis.com) The bigger concern for officials is conflict, especially when bears find easy calories near homes. In an April 1 release, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said most conflicts start with access to birdseed, trash, pet food, and other human-associated food sources. (portal.ct.gov) That same state release said bears entered or broke into homes in 18 Connecticut municipalities in 2025. Connecticut Public reported more than 19,000 human-bear conflicts statewide from 2020 through 2025. (portal.ct.gov) (ctpublic.org) The state’s advice to Farmington residents is simple and specific: take down bird feeders in spring, summer, and fall, secure trash, keep pet food indoors, clean grills, and never intentionally feed bears. If a bear is nearby, officials say to stay calm, make noise, and back away slowly. (portal.ct.gov) (patch.com) For now, Farmington’s 61 reports put the town squarely inside a statewide spring pattern: more bears awake, more sightings logged, and more pressure on residents to keep food attractants out of reach. (patch.com) (ctpublic.org)
