Local News

Bear killed after biting woman in Conn.

The woman sustained minor injuries in the attack.

A black bear chews on a garbage container in Wolcott, Conn. Steven Valenti / Republican-American via AP, File

July 22, 2024

1 minute to read

Environmental police in Connecticut euthanized a 280-pound black bear Saturday afternoon after it bit a woman in Cheshire.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, in a press release, said officers from the Environmental Conservation Police responded to reports that a black bear had bitten a woman at around 4 p.m.

The woman suffered minor injuries and refused treatment.

Cheshire police reported that the bear approached the woman sitting in her backyard near Cornwall and Oak avenues.

The police said the bear was “slow moving” and did not appear healthy. When officers arrived, the bear was no longer in the area.

Environmental police later located and euthanized the male bear following a search of the area. Police then turned over the bear to DEEP wildlife biologists for testing, which may take several days.

The investigation into this incident remains ongoing.

DEEP urges residents to remember that while normally docile, black bears are large and extremely powerful, and like other wild animals, their behavior can be unpredictable. DEEP encourages people to observe bears from a distance.

For more information about black bears, visit Living with Bears.