Have you, or your pets, had a run-in with a black bear recently?

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection reports that human-bear conflicts in Connecticut are continuing to rise and becoming more severe, with bears entering people’s homes 35 times in 2023.

With the arrival of spring, black bears are coming out of their dens, and DEEP is asking residents to take down their bird feeders and reduce the potential for human-bear conflicts by removing food sources from their property.

If you live in New London County and would like to be interviewed about your experiences with black bears, email Staff Writer Daniel Drainville at d.drainville@theday.com or call (860) 701-4236.