Bear caught having fun on child’s slide in Connecticut backyard

"Oh my gosh, there he goes!" the man says, as a child shrieks with delight.

A Connecticut family recently captured video of a black bear exploring a child's play set and going down the slide.

A video shared by Sarah Loving shows a black bear playing on a child's playset on her family's property in West Simsbury on April 19.

The bear can be seen exploring the structure and climbing a short ladder that leads to the top of a slide. The bear sniffs over a sign bearing the name Zuzu.

"Oh he's looking, it says Zuzu, he says," a man tells a child.

"This must be Zuzu's playset," a woman tells a child.

The bear then ventures down a green slide.

"Oh my gosh, there he goes!" the man says, as a child shrieks with delight.

According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, there are an estimated 1,000–1,200 black bears in the state. In the agency's latest State of the Bears report, published in March, officials reported that bear range is expanding in the state. In 2024, bear sightings were reported in 159 of the state's 169 towns and cities, though sightings were most heavily concentrated in the western half of the state.

Bear conflicts are also rising along with the overall population. In 2024, there were reports of bears breaking into homes in 16 different municipalities. Along with home entries, there were also reports of livestock attacks, apiary and other agricultural damage and physical altercations with pets. There were two bear attacks on humans last year.

"The vast majority of the public's bear-related issues stem from birdfeeders and trash," the report stated.

Wildlife officials are urging residents to remain "bear aware" as the animals emerge from their dens for the spring. Residents should never feed bears, and should remove or secure sources of food around their properties such as trash, birdfeeders and beehives, and pet and livestock food.

Reporting by TMX.

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