CT DEEP: How to avoid conflict with bears this fall

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Experts from Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) are reminding residents about bear safety this fall.

Conflicts with bears are following an increasing trend in Connecticut, according to DEEP. So far this year, there have been 40 bear home entries reported across 16 municipalities. Over the past six years, bear home entries have been rising in Connecticut: and are "far higher" than those reported in neighboring states.

DEEP said that black bears try to enter homes because they have consumed human-associated food, like birdseed, trash and pet food, on a regular basis.

Each day in the fall, bears enter "hyperphagia," an annual power-eating marathon where they consume up to 20,000 calories per day to prepare for winter, DEEP said.