The Bear Facts: More Sightings In Montclair (Here’s Where)

MONTCLAIR, NJ — More bear sightings have been reported in Montclair, the township announced late Tuesday night.

In recent weeks, people throughout Essex County have been spotting black bears wandering around wooded areas on the fringes of residential neighborhoods. It’s not clear if the same bear – or bears – are involved in multiple sightings.

According to an advisory from the Township of Montclair, more sightings have occurred in the Upper Montclair area and most recently on Oakwood Avenue.

The New Jersey Department Of Environmental Protection’s Fish and Wildlife division has been notified, Montclair officials added.

Local animal control officers are available 24/7 by calling 862-621-9113 or by calling the Montclair Police Department non-emergency number at 973-744-1234, officials noted.

The township shared several safety tips for anyone who might come in contact with a bear:

• Never feed bears! It's illegal and dangerous. Anyone feeding bears could face a penalty of up to $1,000 for each offense.
• If you live in an area with a large black bear population, close all windows and doors in your house when you are cooking or you are away.
• Have a “Bear Plan” in place for children including the use of whistles, air horns and an escape route.
• Consider installing motion sensor lighting to try to frighten bears away if they enter your yard.
• Other items you can use to try to scare bears out of your yard include air horns and banging pots and pans.
• Maintain a safe distance when attempting to scare bears out of your yard. Try shouting, clapping, stomping the ground and making other loud noises to deter bears.

Other recent local bear sightings include an animal that was seen tromping around the Alonzo F. Bonsal Wildlife Preserve in Montclair on Monday morning. Read More: Bear Spotted At Nature Preserve In Montclair

Last week, a bear was seen in Bloomfield (authorities didn’t mention the location). Read More: Holiday Bear Sighting In Bloomfield On Memorial Weekend

The previous week, the Verona Police Department said a confirmed bear sighting took place in Montclair. A local resident reported that the animal was seen in a local yard near Mills Reservation. Read More: Bear Spotted In Montclair; Police In Verona Issue Alert

Earlier this month, a bear was spotted wandering in the area of Thornden Street and Walton Avenue in South Orange, and on Lawrence Street in West Orange. Read More: Bear Sighting In The Oranges; Schools Cancel Outdoor Activities

In recent years, bear sightings have also been reported in Livingston, Irvington, Maplewood, Roseland and Millburn, among other places in Essex County.

BEAR BEHAVIOR

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 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

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.

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."

Residents can report bear damage, nuisance behavior or aggressive bears to the Wildlife Control Unit of the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife at (908) 735-8793. During evenings and weekends, residents should call their local police department or the DEP Hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP (1-877-927-6337).

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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