[Photo] Black Bear Spotted in West Hartford

This photo was taken by a Patch reader on Hunter Drive (evidently, the bear has a strong sense of irony).

The bear was seen around 4 p.m. on Sunday. 

Sightings of black bears have become commonplace in the West Hartford/Farmington Valley area. And they are far from a laughing matter.

In May, West Hartford resident Sharon Flannery was bitten by a female black bear on Avondale Road.

More recently, this video depicting a bear at a doorstep was submitted by a Granby resident.

The second photo with this post is of a bear on High Wood Road in September.

In the past year, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has received 48 reports of black bear sightings.

Deep also reports that the black bear population in Connecticut is increasing.

Accordingly, DEEP provides the following recommendations for people if they see a black bear:

• Enjoy it from a distance. 

• Advertise your presence by shouting and waving your arms or walk slowly away. 

• Never attempt to feed or attract bears. 

• Report bear sightings to the Wildlife Division, at 860-675-8130.