Bear's a Celebrity in Wolcott

Knucklehead the bear is a bit of a celebrity in Wolcott because the 400-pound animal won't stay in the woods where he belongs.

The bear, named for Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, keeps coming back because people keep putting food out on their decks, officials said.

On Thursday morning, Knucklehead dined on birdseed outside a house on Woodtick Toad and the homeowner, who did not want to be identified, sent in some photos.

Animal Control Officer Joseph Ouimet is familiar with this bear that has been has been appearing in town for several years.

It was trapped three years ago and moved 40 miles away, but found his way back. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection tagged it -- number 49.

“It started about three years ago. .. Knucklehead began using bird feeders as kind of a drive-thru window,” he said.

Then, 10 days ago, the bear was trapped in Bristol and relocated, but found his way back again.

“We watched him grow up right in front of our own eyes. He's become a little bit of a celebrity in the bear world and he makes his cameos every year, but he does get himself into some trouble,” Ouimet said.

Officials discourage people from feed bears, which should be in the woods and eating things like berries and nuts.

Sean Allen lives nearby and didn't see the bear, but his dog sensed something.

“My dog was barking. She was kind of going crazy and the dog warden pulled up and told me to keep the dog in the house,” Allen said.

As a precaution, he does not often let the dog out at night. If the dog must go out, he takes her for a walk himself.

Black bears are vegetarians and are fattening up for hibernation, Ouimet said. They are typically gentle and will normally run from commotion, but people often get too close to get pictures.

If you see a bear, clapping your hands should be enough to scare them away, he said.