Canton, Connecticut – Authorities in Connecticut are currently investigating the shooting of a 450-pound adult male black bear, with the shooter claiming the act was done in self-defense. The incident occurred in the town of Canton, located approximately 13 miles northwest of Hartford.
According to Paul Copleman, a spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the bear was shot after being spotted feeding at an unsecured dumpster in Canton. The Environmental and Conservation Police officers from DEEP are leading the investigation into the shooting.
The shooting comes in the wake of legislation passed the previous year by the General Assembly, which allows individuals in Connecticut to use deadly force to kill a bear if they believe it poses a threat of inflicting great bodily harm to a person, pet, or is entering an occupied building.
State legislators had expressed concern over the increasing interactions between humans and bears in Connecticut, with hopes that the legislation would address issues such as unintentional feeding of bears and potentially implementing a bear hunt.
Copleman mentioned that the conservation police are looking into whether this incident marks the first time someone has claimed self-defense in killing a bear since the law was enacted. In recent years, there have been numerous bear sightings throughout Connecticut, with reports of bears in 165 out of the state’s 169 cities and towns in 2023.
The town of Canton alone reported over 200 bear sightings last year, further highlighting the growing presence of bears in the area. As authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, concerns over human-bear interactions remain a significant issue in the state.