More Bear Sightings Reported In The Caldwells (What To Know)

CALDWELLS, NJ — Another bear has been spotted in the Caldwells, authorities said Friday.

The North Caldwell Police Department said bear sightings were reported in the area of Maple Drive and Spruce Road.

Police had the following advice for anyone who may be in the vicinity:

“Please use caution when outdoors, especially if retrieving children from school bus stops this afternoon. If you encounter a bear, stay calm and never run from a bear. Do not approach a bear; quietly move away and leave the area. If a black bear does approach you, make yourself look big, make loud noises, clap your hands, and continue to back away.”

Friday’s sighting is the second in as many weeks in the Caldwells.

Last week, the Caldwell Police Department said officers received reports about a bear in the woods by Forte Pizzeria. “Please use caution and contact us if you encounter the animal,” police said.

According to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, black bears are the largest land mammal in New Jersey. They are an integral part of the state's natural heritage and a vital component of healthy ecosystems.

In recent years, black bear sightings have also been reported in Bloomfield, Irvington, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair, Roseland, South Orange and Verona, among other places in Essex County.

SAFETY TIPS

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife says that black bears tend to be wary of people. However, if you encounter a black bear in your neighborhood or outdoors while hiking or camping, follow these common-sense safety tips, experts say:

DON’T

• Do not feed bears.
• Do not approach bears. Especially feeding bears, which will aggressively defend their food.
• Do not run from bears. Running may trigger a chase response.
• Do not make direct eye contact. Bears may perceive this as a challenge.

DO

• Remain calm and slowly back away.
• Make the bear aware of you.
• Be loud: speak in an assertive voice, yell, sing, or clap your hands. If available, bang pots and pans or use an airhorn.
• Make yourself look big. Wave your arms. Hold your jacket above your head.
• If you’re in a group, stay together and perform these actions together.
• Make sure the bear has an escape route. If a bear enters your home, prop all the doors open.
• If the bear doesn’t leave, move to a secure area.
• If your family lives in an area frequented by black bears, create a “Bear Plan” for children, with an escape route and planned use of whistles and air horns.
• Black bear attacks are extremely rare. If a black bear does attack, fight back! Aim for the snout and/or eyes. Use anything at hand: (knife, sticks, rocks, binoculars, backpack or kick the bear).
• Report black bear damage or nuisance behavior to the DEP’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).

BEAR BEHAVIOR

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says that mating season for black bears in the state runs between late May and August and peaks in June and July.

Black bears are not true hibernators and may be active all year long. However, during the winter, black bears enter a state of winter dormancy called torpor, experts say.

The NJDEP says that black bears are generally solitary animals, with the exception of sows with cubs. They tend to be crepuscular, meaning they are most active shortly before sunrise and again after sunset. However, they can be active during the day and may be active throughout the night. They will adjust their routines when it affords them the opportunity to take advantage of human-derived food sources – such as human garbage left out overnight, or food scraps at a campground.

The NJDEP continues:

“Black bears actively forage for food in the spring after they emerge from dens and in the fall when they are actively feeding to prepare for the winter den period. Black bears are also very active throughout the summer breeding season. These are the times of year when black bear/human encounters are most common, due to bears searching for food.”

“Black bears are typically not aggressive animals and tend to be wary of people,” the NJDEP says. “They do, however, engage in posturing to intimidate other animals and people when establishing dominance or when they feel threatened. And while extremely rare, predatory attacks do occur.”

LIVING ALONGSIDE BEARS: WHAT TO KNOW

Since the 1980s the Garden State's black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range both southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. Within the most densely populated state in the nation, black bears are thriving and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey's counties, the NJDFW states on its website.

"The most common bear problem New Jersey's residents experience is black bears getting into their garbage," state officials say. "Bears are attracted to neighborhoods by garbage odors, so properly securing your garbage is one of the best ways to prevent bears from becoming a nuisance in your community."

NJDEP wildlife experts emphasize that a black bear passing through an area and not causing a specific problem, such as breaking into trash or otherwise trying to access food sources on people's properties or posing a safety threat, should be left alone.

"People should leave the area and allow the bear to continue on its way," officials said. "When frightened, bears may seek refuge by climbing trees. If the bear does go up a tree, clear the area and give the bear time to climb down and escape."

According to the NJDEP, black bears have been sighted in all of New Jersey's 21 counties, but the population is densest in the northwestern counties of Sussex, Warren, Passaic and Morris.

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