A reader sent me the scoop on a bear sighting Thursday at Stamford's Bartlett Arboretum- a 350 pound bear, to be exact. During the day, a neighbor just north of the Bartlett called to say a bear had crossed into Bartlett property, which consists of 91 acres two miles north of the Merritt, off High Ridge. The place was full of campers at the time, so the employees went out onto the trails to try to find the bear before it found the campers. When they did indeed come upon the bear, it got away from them as fast as it could by leaping into a swamp and swimming away.
I thought you should know about this story because:
1. The Bartlett employees seem pretty brave.
2. If you're in North Stamford, you should know what to do if you come upon a bear. Both the Bartlett and Stamford Museum and Nature Center have nice trails that you should still feel safe to enjoy.
3. The bear was pretty close to High Ridge Road, so if you are driving up there, don't be shocked if you see a fat, giant black dog... and realize, a second later, it's a bear. (This happened to my sister in high school in Virginia.)
Other wild animals you might see on your jaunts around Stamford include wild turkeys and coyotes.
Related Stamford Talk posts:
--April 13, 2008-- Wolves- I Mean, Coyotes!
--January 14, 2008-- Ahoooooooooooooo: Coyotes in Stamford
--November 20, 2007-- Wild Turkeys: New Residents of the FC ("I’ve been told I should write about more controversial topics, but all I can say is, Have you seen those wild turkeys?")
--July 9, 2008-- Bartlett's Farmers' Market: Bumpy Start
--July 6, 2008--New Farmers' Market in North Stamford
--July 9, 2008--The Bartlett Arboretum is Awesome!!!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Turkeys, Coyotes, and-- Bears in Stamford?!?
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8 comments:
How do they know how much the bear weighs? A guesstimate? Or do they have some fancy laser that you can weigh stuff with from a distance? And if they have that fancy laser, can I have one, because that would be an endless sort of torment and amusement, now, wouldn't it? I'm out to dinner with Stamford Talk. She orders dessert. I pull out my weight gun and shoot her with it and say: WHOA, Stamford Talk. You sure you want to eat that banana cream pie? And then I would be dead. The end.
Hmm. The Bartlett isn't anywhere near Long Ridge Road, so now I'm not only scared, but also confused. And that link didn't help, because it seems that if I do encounter a black bear, I damn well better know which way is downwind. And I must confine my bear encounters to breezy days, because if it's a still day like, I dunno, every day this summer, there's no downwind, and I'm...dinner.
Oops I meant High Ridge- just changed it in the 2nd paragraph. I always mix those roads up. Don't stress, anonymous- if you use the other tips, I'm sure you will be fine.
Jess, it was a guesstimate- keep your weight gun awaaaay from me.
No, I am with Jess. They have amazing technology at the Bartlett. Weight guns, light sabers, heck even BEE HIVES.
Happened to me about two weeks ago in the Berkshires while driving on Route 183, properties on both sides. Maybe two miles south of Tanglewood.
The bear slunk -- the only way to describe this -- across the road and gave my car (or me?) an evil look.
Patty, the other day at the farmers market I bought the Bartlett's wildflower honey, excellent.
Stephen Colbert says Bears are the #1 threat to the United States.
Pretty interesting to see large wildlife this far south in FFLD county. Litchfield isnt uncommon to have bears, coyotes, etc but anything in FFLD and Westchester is worth noting. In general black bears tend to avoid human contact and are skittish. They'll run or climb trees to avoid a confrontation. If you do come in contact (and its a special thing!) I'd recommend slowly backing away and avoiding eye contact. Unless they are protecting cubs the risk is very minimal.
PS - put the rifles away!
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