Black bears have broken into 31 Connecticut homes so far in 2026, part of a trend that's exploded over the past decade, according to state data released Wednesday. In 2025, homes were entered 40 times across 18 towns — up from fewer than 10 a year just 10 years ago. Connecticut now sees four home break-ins per 100 bears annually, four times the rate in Massachusetts or New York, according to DEEP's 2026 State of the Bears report.
DEEP has logged bear sightings in Greenwich this year, and a March report mapping a GPS-collared female bear's range shows bears in Fairfield County roam freely across multiple suburban towns — not just the rural ones people might expect.
"Screen doors and windows will not stop a hungry bear from investigating food smells," DEEP spokesperson Bill Flood said. "They have a much better sense of smell than we do."
DEEP has logged more than 6,100 bear sightings statewide this year and fielded 110 nuisance calls between January and mid-June — 96 of them after April 1, and 20 involving bears actually entering homes. Trash is the biggest draw, linked to 640 conflicts this year, followed by bird feeders (363) and structural damage (189). Flood said bears have simply grown comfortable around people and learned where the food is.
Connecticut saw three bear attacks on humans in 2025. In June, state environmental police euthanized a bear in Winchester after it kept breaking into homes.
Secure trash cans, take down all bird feeders (yes, even hummingbird feeders), clean grills after every use, and feed pets indoors. Lock doors and windows even for quick errands — screens won't cut it. Anyone with backyard chickens should install electric fencing before bears find them; poultry accounts for about 85% of bear-livestock conflicts, according to DEEP officer Elise Bouthillier.
If you run into a bear: make noise, back away slowly, and get inside if it doesn't leave. Don't stop for a photo.
Report a sighting here. For damage or questions, call DEEP's Wildlife Division at 860-424-3011. For an aggressive bear, call the 24-hour Dispatch Center at 860-424-3333.
