Increased Bear Sightings in North Jersey Spark Community Attention

photo courtesy of Cresskill Police

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Cresskill NJ, on Thursday Cresskill Police reported a Bear sighting. Bear sightings in North Jersey have become more common in densely populated counties, while slightly less frequent in rural areas, according to recent official data.

Between April 20 and May 21, residents in Bergen, Morris, Sussex, Passaic, and Essex counties reported 139 instances of bear activity, per a report from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, which is overseen by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This “bear activity” ranges from simple sightings to unprovoked attacks on humans or animals. Incidents managed solely by local police without DEP involvement were not included in the report.

Sightings and complaints in these counties increased by 9% compared to the same period in 2023. Notably, Bergen County saw its reported bear activities double, rising from six to twelve, while Essex County’s numbers jumped from one to four sightings.

In Sussex County, where bear sightings are relatively common, reports slightly decreased from 74 to 70. However, the county did experience two separate dog attacks by bears in Sparta, one of which resulted in the death of a dog on Graphic Boulevard.

Despite the increase in sightings, reports of bear-related aggression or property damage have decreased. Statewide, there was a 31% drop in reports of Category I bears, which represent the most serious incidents.

Recent Bear Incidents in North Jersey

On May 20, Verona police alerted residents about a bear sighted in neighboring Montclair, advising them to maintain distance and contact the police if seen.

In Little Falls, a bear was spotted in a tree on Ridge Road on May 19, while the same day another bear was seen near the lower lake of the Ramapo Valley County Reservation in Mahwah.

Numerous residents of Norwood Terrace along the Passaic River reported a bear sighting in the Totowa neighborhood on May 18, according to police reports.

Manchester Regional High School in Haledon briefly sheltered students in place on May 16 after a bear cub was seen on the property. The cub safely retreated to the woods, though residents were urged to remain vigilant.

In Hawthorne, police reported a bear sighting on May 8. In Essex County, the South Orange Police Department issued a social media alert on May 13 about a bear spotted near Thorndon Street and Walton Avenue, advising those who saw the bear to avoid it and contact the police.

Social media has been abuzz with bear photographs over the past month, showing mother bears and their cubs foraging in areas like the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, a nine-mile, 5,100-acre area primarily located in Sussex County.

In a notable incident in Vernon, linemen from Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative used a bucket truck to rescue a bear cub stuck in a tree. The cub had climbed the tree for safety after being startled by nearby construction on April 9. Following the DEP’s recommended waiting period to see if the mother would return, linemen returned 20 days later to safely extricate the cub. The 3-month-old, 15-pound bear was then placed in a travel crate and released into a known den in Stillwater, where a new bear family welcomed it.

These incidents highlight the ongoing interactions between North Jersey residents and the local bear population, emphasizing the importance of awareness and caution in bear-prone areas.