As Marianne Heffernan was watering the plants at her 95-year-old father's home in Seymour on Thursday, she heard a small splash in their in-ground swimming pool. She initially just thought it was her brother, but when she turned around, she was met with a furry surprise.During the day, when temperatures climbed into the 80s, a black bear had made its way into the yard and was now "dog paddling" in the deep end of the pool."I think I was stunned, because it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. It didn't register...
As Marianne Heffernan was watering the plants at her 95-year-old father's home in Seymour on Thursday, she heard a small splash in their in-ground swimming pool. She initially just thought it was her brother, but when she turned around, she was met with a furry surprise.
During the day, when temperatures climbed into the 80s, a black bear had made its way into the yard and was now "dog paddling" in the deep end of the pool.
"I think I was stunned, because it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. It didn't register," Heffernan said. "I was getting ready to go in the pool myself."
Heffernan said that she didn't want to startle the bear in case it damaged the pool's lining and got up on the deck to let her father, Charles Stochmal, know about the visitor. Stochmal got out of his chair, walked to the window, opened it up and yelled, "Get out of the pool," and it did.
"He knew just what I meant when I said, 'Get out of the pool.' He jumped up," Stochmal said.
The bear went back to the pool to take a drink before making its way out of the yard by climbing over a fence.
"After getting out of the pool, he very nonchalantly just made his way around the backyard, around to the front of the house and over to the garbage bins to see if there was anything there. And I shooed him away at that point," Heffernan said. "He was so darn cute. I just want to hug it. It's like a big teddy bear. Really beautiful animal, but a little too close for comfort."
During hot days, bears will often seek any source of water they can find, including pools and lakes, to cool down, according to Bearwise, a site that focuses on bear safety. If you see a black bear, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection suggests to never approach it and make your presence known by yelling, screaming or making some other form of loud noise and slowly leaving the area into a structure like a house or garage, if possible. Amenity Pool Services, a company that focuses on pool equipment and safety, recommends that individuals keep large animals away from their pools by putting up fences, spraying animal repellent around the pool and installing automatic sprinklers that can scare animals away.
The pool sighting wasn't the only close encounter Nutmeggers have had with bears this year. On Memorial Day Weekend, a West Hartford resident came face to face with one in his backyard. In July, a Connecticut hair salon manager fought off a bear in Simsbury to save her dog.