Man injured trying to rescue dog from bear attack in Litchfield

A man is injured after he tried to stop a bear from attacking his dog in Litchfield on Saturday.

The attack is serving as a reminder for neighbors in the area that bears live among them.

State wildlife officials have said they’ve been seeing more and more human and bear conflicts happening this year and this time, it involved someone getting hurt.

“What provoked the bear to do that, you know?” asked Litchfield resident Tammy Weik.

Homeowners in Litchfield are processing the news of a bear attack in town.

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Environmental Conservation Police were called to a bear attack in a residential neighborhood in Litchfield around 11:15 a.m.

According to officials, a bear had investigated bird feeders on a porch and moved into the yard of the home when a dog spotted and chased the bear.

DEEP said the bear then attacked the dog. As the 65-year-old homeowner tried to intervene in the attack, authorities said he was injured by the bear.

The homeowner's injuries are considered non-life threatening. He was transported to the hospital and the dog was transported to a veterinary hospital.

After the incident, DEEP said the bear went into the nearby woods and was not found by officers.

“We don’t have any birdfeeders out just because of the bear situation,” Weik explained.

DEEP reminds residents that bird feeders should not be up from late March through November while bears are active. According to DEEP, bird feeders and trash cans are one of the leading causes of bear conflicts and damage reports they receive.

“If you have a bird feeder on your porch, he’s going to go up and get it,” one Warren resident said.

Deep says trash cans should only beput outside in the morning on pickup day.

Anyone who sees a bear in their area or on their property can make a report to DEEP.