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POMFRET — Paul Colburn returns to discuss black bears from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road, Pomfret Center.
Adult admission is $5 for CAS members and $10 for non-members. There is no charge for children 12 and under. 860-928-4948.
Two experts on wildlife agree the bottom line is bears will be living among us and they must be kept as wild as possible. Sarah Heminway, director of the Center at Pomfret, added, “The CAS wanted to offer this program to educate the public about bear biology and behavior in order to reduce the potential for bear problems.”
Colburn is a graduate of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) Master Wildlife Conservationist Program
During his presentation, he discusses the history of black bears in Connecticut, their habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, and current research studies. He also will offer some practical recommendations for peaceful coexistence as the state’s black bear population grows and expands.
Dale May is the former director of the CT DEEP Wildlife Division and a Quiet Corner resident. He said, “There is a great deal of unoccupied excellent bear habitat in Windham County. While we have had bear sightings here for decades (usually dispersing young males), we are seeing an expansion of breeding females into northeastern Connecticut, primarily from Massachusetts to the north. As expansion continues, we can expect to see a dramatic increase in the number of bears in the county. Bear sightings and interactions will become much more common.”
By looking at the northwestern part of the state and the Farmington River Valley, May suggests, we can learn what to expect. “Connecticut’s bears are very healthy, productivity is high, and mortality is low. While bears are comfortable living close to humans, proximity creates problems. Windham County citizens will be doing bears and themselves a favor by proactively adopting habits that discourage close interaction with bears. They should make food attractants, especially birdseed, unavailable to bears and also, try to make bears uncomfortable in the presence of humans with loud noises, etc.”