NORWICH – It’s a lion, it’s a tiger, no, it’s a bear! Although it was highly unlikely to see a lion or a tiger Wednesday, seeing a bear was entirely possible in the City of Norwich.
A black bear was spotted in the west side of the city near Canasawacta Creek over the past few days. “We were aware of a bear feeding in a garage attached to a residence on Randall Avenue Tuesday evening. On Wednesday around noon time, we received reports of a bear in Canasawacta Creek near Locust Street,” said Norwich Police Chief Joseph Angelino. “Our concern at that time was Perry Browne Elementary School nearby.”
Perry Browne students were brought inside the building and all outdoor activities were canceled for the remainder of the afternoon. Perry Browne faculty said recess and outdoor gym classes were moved inside. Children were not allowed to walk home from the school.
“This is most likely a yearling bear that is being pushed away by its mother and he is trying to learn to forage for food. The bear is probably following his nose to the nearest food source; bird feeders and garbage,” the chief said.
City residents should be careful in storing their garbage or any food items. Police recommend they be stored inside a structure such as a garage. Even pet food can draw a bear’s attention and should be temporarily moved indoors.
The Norwich PD wants to remind residents that a city ordinance requires garbage be kept outdoors in a durable sealed container. “If there is no food source, all these nuisance animals would go someplace else to eat,” said Assistant Chief Van Miles.
“There is not a great deal the police can do except monitor the situation and ensure people don’t get near the animal. We have been working closely with NYS Environmental Conservation officers on this matter, and they advised the same thing: take away the food source and the bears will go away,” said Angelino.
American blacks bears are the most common bear species in North America. They have the potential to grow as large as 500 pounds but seldom do; most bears tend to be between 90 and 400 pounds according to the New York State Department of Conservation. Adults have dark shaded fur, usually black, rounded ears, a long snout and a short tail. Once there were as many as two million of these bears in North America; however, now there are only between 200 and 800 thousands roaming the countryside.
At about this time last year the Norwich Police received similar complaints of a bear on the west side of the city. Last year, police working with the Department of Conservation were forced to drive off the animal from a residence on Fair Street using rubber bullets.
Black bears are not aggressive by nature, and attacks on humans are very rare. “These bears avoid contact with humans as best they can. They’ll just run away,” said Miles.
Police recommend that if you encounter a black bear, give it plenty of room and try to avoid any contact by slowly backing away and leaving the area.

- Tyler Murphy contributed to this story.