A dead bear was recently found in a restricted area of a Connecticut wildlife management site, according to the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection DEEP. The area, which is not open to the public, is used for wildlife disposal.
Photos of the bear circulated on social media over the weekend, showing it in the Sessions Woods wildlife disposal area. James Fowler, a senior advisor with DEEP, explained that bears are taken there after autopsies for proper disposal.
When bears are recovered and examined, their remains are sent to this area, Fowler said. He added that signs warn the public to stay out of the area, but it seems someone ignored the signs.
Fowler further clarified, It seems the incident involved someone venturing into the restricted disposal zone and seeing the bear remains.
The social media post, which has now been deleted or made private, claimed the bear was headless. Fowler explained that heads are often removed during autopsies or for rabies testing, though he did not know the exact details of this specific case.
Bears have become increasingly common in Connecticut, with 1,000 to 1,200 living in the state. DEEP regularly educates the public about staying safe around bears, offering programs and a video series called Living with Black Bears.
While some reports circulated on social media about another bear cub seen struggling in Bristol over the weekend, Fowler said he was not aware of any official reports.
There have been several negative encounters between humans and bears in recent years, including a 2023 incident where a 74-year-old woman was bitten by a black bear while walking her dog in Avon. In such cases, DEEP follows its Black Bear Response protocol, which calls for euthanizing a bear that attacks a person.