Tranquilized Bear Drops Out of Tree in Montclair

A black bear cub perched in a tree in a small Montclair park captivated onlookers for more than three hours Tuesday. 

The bear was monitored by Montclair Police from about 7 to 10 a.m. by using hammers and branches to make noise and contain it to its branch about 12-feet above the ground in a tree in Watchung Park.

Around 9 a.m. a crew from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife arrived to tranquilize and remove the bear to a wooded location.

An hour later, a tranquilizer shot at the bear’s paw caused it after about six minutes to become woozy and slip down the tree. He dropped safely into a net held by several members of the Montclair and Fire departments.

Outside play and activities were prohibited at Montclair public elementary and middle schools Tuesday on account of the bear, according to a notice sent to parents from the district superintendent. A similar restriction was placed at Hillside Elementary School on Monday after reports of a black bear on Myrtle Avenue. 

Montcliar Police Det. Lt. Angel Roman said he believed Monday's bear is the same one that ended up in the Watchung Park tree. Roman estimated the bear to be about a year old and weigh between 200 and 250 pounds.

"It's probably just scurrying around for food," Roman said.

A large crowd stood around the perimeter of the park right outside Watchung Plaza and across from the Watchung Avenue train station, taking hundreds of pictures and videos with their cell phones, iPads and SLR cameras.

Even though the work day had started, many like Becky Koch stuck around to watch the bear, unwilling to miss any action.

“As soon as I turn the corner, the bear is going to jump out of the tree,” Koch said.

Nancy Arny Pi-Sunyer compared the sighting to Buzz Aldrin’s visit to his hometown of Montclair two days earlier.

“I admire both Buzz and bears,” Arny Pi-Sunger said with a laugh. “They are both very brave and they have both gone up very high.”

Roman said he has been working in Montclair for 20 years and has not heard of a bear sighting before.

Watchung Avenue resident Sue Juliano said the bear had been in her yard minutes before heading into the park. 

Juliano said the bear knocked down her bird feeder and ate all the bird food.

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