Bears Take In A 'Bird's-Eye' View From Chester Tree: Pic

CHESTER, NJ — A mama bear and four of her babies gave an impromptu photo op to a Chester Police officer, as he responded to a resident’s call about their presence in a tree.

Cpl. Nicholas Salamone was able to capture mom and her cubs on film as they stayed perched in the tree limbs this past Friday, waiting for the coast to be clear, before the mom and babies felt it was safe to descend.

Chester Police Chief Thomas Williver told Patch on Tuesday the bears were considered “no threat to public safety,” where they were located at the time police were called, officers leaving the bears where they were.

“The mama bear and her cubs were left to come down when she felt it was safe for them to do so,” Williver explained. “Female bears will send their cubs up a tree when they feel threatened or unsafe.”

The Chester Police Facebook Page where the bear picture was posted, brought a lot of chatter about the bears, people trying to guess how many were actually up in tree’s canopy, as well as why they were there.

The police department responded to the comments, confirming there were four cubs, indicating the mother and her cubs were spotted on the town’s southern end, as well as providing the outcome of their call, with leaving the bears there.

“We do have lots of bear in town and you may see more of them as the leaves begin to fall,” the police department answered on the post. “We are glad we had the opportunity to share some of the beautiful wildlife our officers encounter during their shift.”

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.