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Save the Date! "Bats Count" Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The DEEP Wildlife Division and White Memorial Conservation Center will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, June 16, 2023 to unveil the brand new "Bat Cam" located in a barn at White Memorial in Litchfield, Connecticut.


You will have the opportunity to watch the bats fly from the barn at dusk as they embark on their nightly feeding frenzy! Join us on this special evening to celebrate these incredible flying mammals. Bat experts will be on hand and fun activities are planned. We hope to see you there!


More on Bats Count . . .

Preregister HERE . . .

If You Care, Leave it There

May is the time of year when many species are raising their young, and there is a good chance of encountering young wildlife. Young animals may appear to be “abandoned”, but in most cases, an adult is likely out of sight close by, waiting for you to leave. The best thing you can do for young wildlife is to leave them alone. If you are certain that a wild animal has been injured or orphaned, before touching it or moving it, please consult the DEEP website for a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators. If you have any questions, please contact us at deep.wildlife@ct.gov.


Deer Fawns: Most fawns that are found are not orphaned! Female deer give birth to their fawns from May through the end of June. The doe will rarely be found near her fawn for the first few weeks of its life because her presence may attract predators. The fawn is able to hide from predators because it is well camouflaged and has very little odor. Often times, young fawns are found in and around yards. This is not abnormal. The only time a female (doe) will be found with a fawn is during feeding times. During the long periods left alone, newborn fawns instinctively freeze and will lay motionless when approached. If you come across a fawn, it is best to leave it alone for at least 48 hours to determine whether the adult is returning for feedings. While waiting for the doe to return, it is important that both people and dogs stay away from the fawn. A truly orphaned fawn may show signs of distress by walking around aimlessly and calling out for several hours.

Watch Out for Turtles Crossing Roads

From mid-May to late June, female turtles search for a place to lay their eggs. Some turtles stay within their home range and find a suitable place to dig a nest while others may travel over a mile. It is during this time when turtles are particularly vulnerable to being hit by cars. 


Connecticut’s landscape is highly fragmented by busy roads, and many turtles are forced to cross roadways in order to find suitable nesting habitat. Helping a turtle move across the road can be the difference between life and death for the animal, and for future generations, but your safety comes first. Be sure to assist a turtle in the road only when it is safe to do so and do not attempt to stop traffic. Always keep the turtle pointed in the direction it is going. Never move the turtle to a “better spot” - leave the turtle in the same area where it was found once it is moved from the road.


More on Connecticut's turtles . . .

Keep Bears Off the Guest List this BBQ Season

Black bear activity continues to increase throughout spring and into the summer months. While there is plenty of suitable habitat and natural food available for bears throughout Connecticut, the lure of calorie-rich foods from humans draws bears into neighborhoods and to homes for an easy meal. Black bears have a remarkable sense of smell and can sniff out a careless picnic from a mile away! As the summer BBQ season approaches, here are a few tips to keep bears off the guest list and help reduce conflicts with people:


  • Clean grills after use. Empty grease traps and burn off food residue.


  • Clean up and secure food waste and garbage right away. This will also prevent other wild guests, like raccoons, skunks, and birds from causing messes.


  • Keep ground floor windows and doors of your house secured when you are not around. Bears can easily push in screens to gain access to food inside your home.


  • Talk to your neighbors about preventing wildlife conflicts. Most conflicts are the result of animals finding human-related foods near homes.


More on coexisting with black bears . . .

Report Wildlife Sightings

In Connecticut, residents have the opportunity to see some incredible wildlife right in their own backyards! The DEEP Wildlife Division is collecting sighting reports for several species, including fisher, moose, black bear, and bobcat.


Sighting reports help biologists better understand the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations. Our Wildlife Sighting Public Viewer allows you to see sighting reports by town. You can help Connecticut’s wildlife biologists by reporting your observations for the wildlife species listed on our website.


Report a wildlife sighting . . .

Help Share the Shore with Connecticut's Coastal Birds

Nesting piping plover and least tern nests and chicks can be hard to spot along the beach! With camouflage feathers, nests, and eggs, plovers become almost invisible in the sand.


The DEEP Wildlife Division is asking beach visitors and boaters along the Connecticut shoreline to respect the fencing and yellow signs warning of piping plover and least tern nesting sites. Both shorebirds are state threatened species (the plover is also federally threatened).


More on the piping plover . . .

Wild Turkey Brood Survey Begins Next Month

Be on the lookout for wild turkeys, especially hens and poults (young-of-the-year). The DEEP Wildlife Division conducts the Annual Wild Turkey Brood Survey to estimate the average number of turkey poults per hen statewide, to assess annual fluctuations in the turkey population, and calculate male-to-female ratios.


All you have to do is record all the hens, poults, and toms or jakes observed during your normal travel from June 1 through August 31. Each observation is categorized by the total number of hens with poults and the total number of male turkeys. We appreciate your assistance!


More on the Turkey Brood Survey . . .

Species Spotlight: Puritan Tiger Beetle

As we celebrate the 50th year of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), we highlight one of the smallest species to benefit from the protection of this landmark federal law.


The Puritan tiger beetle uses its long legs to their advantage, running quickly in the sand to capture prey in their sharp jaws. These beetles alternate between bursts of foraging activity and periods of standing still.


In New England, Puritan tiger beetles occur in select sandy beach habitats along the Connecticut River where they dig burrows in upper shoreline areas with scattered vegetation and sandy clay soils.


Puritan tiger beetle populations are limited by the availability of sandy beach habitat along rivers, which tends to occur below large river bends. Some historical sites where beetles occurred have been lost to bank stabilization around cities and by habitat loss due to flooding behind dams.


More on the Puritan tiger beetle . . .

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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are seeking a communication aid or service, have limited proficiency in English, wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint, or require some other accommodation, including equipment to facilitate virtual participation, please contact the DEEP Office of Diversity and Equity at 860-418-5910 or by email at deep.accommodations@ct.gov. Any person needing an accommodation for hearing impairment may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. In order to facilitate efforts to provide an accommodation, please request all accommodations as soon as possible following notice of any agency hearing, meeting, program or event.


This program receives Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility, or if you need more information, please write to:

Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights

U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20240