PETITION TARGET: Joint Committee on Environment
Curious and sensitive black bears are at risk of being shot to death in Connecticut, with lawmakers recently introducing a flurry of bills — including HB 5021, HB 5261, HB 5315, HB 5671, and HB 6285 — that would allow hunters to kill these intelligent animals.
Supporters of bear hunting legislation have cited the increasing numbers of bears and human-bear encounters as justifiers for a hunt. However, opponents say people’s preventable behavior is the key to avoiding these encounters.
People who leave out a “buffet” for bears draw them into residential areas, said Laura Simon, an urban wildlife ecologist and the president of the Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association. She noted that non-lethal solutions could effectively reduce conflicts, such as teaching people to put out their trash bins in the morning and not to leave meat, dairy, or other bear attractants lying open in compost.
Conversely, allowing bear hunting would likely kill mother bears and leave orphaned cubs to fend for themselves. Those baby bears likely will suffer and die without their mothers, who teach them to forage, avoid predators, hibernate, and other necessary life skills.
Evidence also shows that bear hunts don’t actually stop human-bear encounters. Simon noted that states that have allowed bear hunting — like Pennsylvania and Michigan — saw an increase in human-bear conflicts.
Bears don’t deserve to be shot and killed because of people’s careless actions. Connecticut must prioritize non-lethal solutions, including public awareness campaigns.
Sign our petition urging Connecticut lawmakers to focus their efforts on educating people about effective preventative measures they can take to limit human-bear interactions and to reject all bills that would allow bear hunting in the state.
