State biologist gives the ‘bear’ facts at Beardsley Library

WINSTED — More than 60 residents attended a lecture given by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) bear biologist Paul Rego on Thursday, Sept. 27, at The Beardsley and Memorial Library.Rego spoke to the audience about why there is a huge bear population in the Northwest Corner and why people are having bear sightings with greater frequency.“Winsted, as being part of a broader Northwest region, is mostly a wooded area,” Rego said. “I can’t say for sure how much of a bear population the state has, but it has been estimated at 500. A very good majority of them are in the Northwest Corner of the state.”Rego said the bears migrated from various locations in nearby western Massachusetts and their forest areas.He said the Northwest Corner, with plenty of forest areas in the region, is a good breeding habitat for bears.“The DEP believes that, if things remain as they are now, the population of bears will continue to climb in the state,” Rego said. “We believe that there will be much more conflicts between bears and humans. Also, there will be many more cases of property damage, and property owners will be spending a lot of money to try to resolve problems.”As for the state having any plans to try to control the growing bear population, Rego said the DEP does not have any in the works.“We are looking at options, but as of right now there are no specific plans,” Rego said. “Dealing with this situation is definitely a priority for us. We have been making a lot of efforts in dealing with bears, especially since a good majority of the public is affected by this.”As for residents who might see a bear, Rego said the first thing one should do is not approach them or come near them.“Depending on the situation, you can try to encourage it to leave by making loud noises,” he said. “If it is eating human food from a trash can, the best thing to do is to wait until it leaves.”Rego advises that residents should remove outdoor bird feeders and to store garbage in secure containers so bears will not be attracted to them.“Bears are attracted to human food and trash stored outdoors,” he said. “They especially love sweet and fatty foods.”