Students, bear cross paths

WINSTED — Students walking home from classes at The Gilbert School were met with a wild surprise Monday afternoon as they crossed paths with a black bear roaming near Hinsdale Elementary School. The bear was eventually captured and removed from the area, injuring no one in the process.

Shortly after 2:30 p.m, police were dispatched to Wetmore Avenue, where dozens of students were watching a juvenile male black bear, approximately 250 pounds, with tags on both ears, walking through backyards. Within minutes, the bear made its way south down Wetmore Avenue and into the adjoining backyards on Elm Street, where resident Julio DeNicola ended up within a few yards of the animal as students and neighborhood residents looked on.

Winsted police officers parked on both Elm Street and Wetmore Avenue in an effort to cordon off the animal while the Wildlife Division of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was alerted. The DEP dispatched a wildlife expert and an environmental conservation officer to Winsted. The bear was eventually tranquilized and relocated to a nearby state forest.

The lone bear did not appear panicked during the after-school rush but was visibly uncomfortable with the sudden attention and briefly climbed a tree between Elm Street and Wetmore Avenue before climbing back down and exploring several other backyards. The animal lumbered around freely as students ran up and down Wetmore Avenue to catch a glimpse. At least one student was warned by police to stay out of harm’s way.

The bear climbed back up the hill, across Elm Street and ended up on Hillside Avenue and climbed another tree there before a DEP officer was able to tranquilize the animal.

The bear had two yellow tags, one on each ear. DEP spokesman Dennis Schain said Tuesday that the bear was first discovered in West Hartford around June and has been seen in many towns west of there since then. The bear has been spotted in Canton, Torrington and New Hartford, among other towns.

The DEP reports there have been 33 black bear sightings in Winchester this year, only two of which involved bears venturing into the residential borough of Winsted. Statewide, there have been more than 1,360 reported bear sightings this year.

Numerous Winchester residents have reported seeing the aftermath of bear visits at their homes, in the form of overturned garbage cans. The DEP recommends waiting until the morning of collection to bring out trash and adding a few capfuls of ammonia to trash bags and garbage cans to mask food odors. Trash bags should be stored in a container with a tight lid, preferably in a garage or shed.