HARWINTON, Conn. (AP) – Connecticut’s bears apparently know a little something about the birds and the bees.

Conservation officers from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection say the state’s bear population is growing by about 10 percent each year, spurred by increased reproduction.

The officials estimate that about 300 to 500 bears already live in Connecticut.

The population boom is particularly notable in the state’s northwest corner, where the habitat in the Litchfield Hills and communities such as Harwinton, Barkhamsted and other nearby towns is ideal for bears, authorities said.

Conservation officers and wildlife biologists say they have visited several known bear dens recently to check the number and gender of newborn cubs.

The officers are advising residents in bear-prone areas to take down their bird feeders, since bears tend to seek them out.

“We prefer bears not become habituated to feeding from human sources,” conservation officer Paul Hilli said.