Police: Homeowner calls 911 after mother bear, her 3 cubs break into house with son inside

CANTON, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – A mother bear and three cubs broke into a Connecticut home Tuesday afternoon where the homeowner’s son was alone inside, prompting a 911 call, according to police.

Canton police officers and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) responded to the Canton home.

The homeowner said her son was home alone at the time of the break in and called in an emergency.

Police released the 911 call from the incident on Wednesday morning.

DEEP tranquilized the mother bear and placed her in a culvert trap, according to officials.

They said the plan was to “haze” her and then release her into the area.

“Sometimes bears have to be hazed to change their behavior when they are getting too close to humans,” the National Park Service said.

DEEP is in charge of the investigation, officials said.

“The sow is a 10-year-old collared bear with no history of serious conflicts with humans,” DEEP said.

Neighbors said it was not the first time the bear broke into a home.

Rebecca Cleavelend, who lives less than a quarter mile from the house where it happened on Tuesday, told WFSB the mother bear broke into her freezer.

She said the mom and her cubs passed by her house before they broke into the other family’s house.

“It sounds like it was a mom and three cubs, and we’ve had a mom and three cubs in our yard,” Cleaveland said.

Cleaveland said the family of bears were popular in the neighborhood and online.

“They’re very well known, not just on TikTok, but very well known on social media platforms,” she said.

Canton police did not share how the bears got into the home, but recommended bear safety tips:

• Keeping first floor windows closed
• Keeping trash in the garage
• Be aware of bear activity
• Keep in mind of pets when letting them out
• Stay away from mama bears and cubs

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