Connecticut’s DEEP has seen a recent increase in the number of reported bear attacks on livestock and bee hives
Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has seen a recent increase in the number of reported bear attacks on livestock and bee hives. At least a dozen cases of bear attacks on livestock have been reported so far this year. This is well above the number of cases for the same time period in recent years. This increase is prompting the DEEP to remind livestock and pet owners that black bears can and will prey on livestock. Bears have killed goats, sheep, chickens, and rabbits. Residents that raise livestock or keep these animals as pets, as well as bee keepers, are advised to take precautions against bears and other predators to avoid conflicts and protect their animals and/or bee hives.
“Spring is typically a period of low natural food availability for bears, often causing them to opportunistically seek other foods, including livestock,” said Rick Jacobson, Director of the DEEP Wildlife Division. “This year’s high number of livestock attacks may be due to the growing number of bears occurring over a broader area of western Connecticut.”
Livestock owners and bee keepers should consider taking the following precautions:
- Use well-constructed and well-maintained electric fencing for livestock and bee hives. Fencing should be tight and consist of multiple strands, preferably barbed wire.
- Consider protecting livestock by securing them in a barn, shed, or pen, especially at night.
- Store livestock feed in secure containers in a closed shed or barn.
- Remove other attractants in the area. These include bird feeders, garbage containers, compost piles, and excess livestock feed.
- Keep animals and bee hives as far away from forested areas as possible.
- Consider using trained guard dogs.
- Use motion activated lights or even alarms near livestock areas and bee hives.
In many instances, the DEEP will respond to livestock attacks by trying to trap the bear. Some bears are then marked with identifying ear tags, subjected to aversive conditioning, and released. Aversive conditioning is a technique that uses negative stimuli (i.e., shooting with rubber bullets and/or paintballs, pepper spray, loud noises, etc.) to cause pain, avoidance, or irritation in an animal engaged in an unwanted behavior. The bear learns to associate the location with a negative experience, and thus should be more likely to avoid conflict in the future. In instances where a bear has repeatedly attacked livestock, even if it has been subjected to aversive conditioning, the bear may be euthanized.
The DEEP Wildlife Division monitors the black bear population through sighting reports received from the public. Anyone who observes a black bear in Connecticut is encouraged to report the sighting on the DEEP’s website (www.ct.gov/deep/blackbear), or call the Wildlife Division at 860-424-3011 (Mon.-Fri. from 8:30 AM-4: 30 PM). The DEEP’s 24-hour dispatch line (860-424-3333) can be called at night and on weekends or in the case of an emergency situation. Some bears have been ear-tagged for research. Information on the presence or absence of tags on bears is valuable. More information about black bears can be found on the DEEP website at www.ct.gov/deep/blackbear.
A common misconception is that a tagged bear is a problem bear, and a bear with two ear tags was caught on two different occasions because it was causing problems. Actually, every bear receives two ear tags (one in each ear) the first time it is handled by DEEP. Most tagged bears have not been caught as problem bears, but rather as part of a project researching the state’s population.
