Uninvited Tenants: A Mother Bear and 4 Cubs Turn Bergen County Crawl Space into a Winter Den
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the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Oakland NJ, Imagine waking up to the sound of rustling beneath your floorboards, only to realize your “renters” aren’t humans—they’re a 300-pound black bear and her four growing cubs.
For the O’Brien-Lim family in Oakland, New Jersey, this isn’t a scene from a nature documentary; it’s been their daily reality for months. As the weather warms, this Bergen County family is finally sharing their incredible (and slightly nerve-wracking) story of living directly above a bear den.
The “Rent-Free” Addition
The ordeal began when a mother black bear discovered a perfect, secluded spot under an addition to the O’Brien-Lim home.
“The previous owners, when they built this addition, they dug a foundation under only half of it,” explained resident Veronica O’Brien-Lim. That crawl space provided the ultimate sanctuary for a mother bear to nurse her four cubs through the winter.
On Tuesday, the neighborhood got a front-row seat to the “grand exit” as the entire bear family finally emerged. The transition back to the wild wasn’t without drama—one small cub actually got stuck and required a quick rescue to reunite with its siblings.
From “Adorable” to “Expensive” Neighbors
While the sight of four cubs is a dream for any nature photographer, the reality of living with them has become a headache for the homeowners. As the bears grew more active, the O’Brien-Lims noticed some destructive behaviors:
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Late-Night Raids: The bears have been dragging neighbors’ trash back to the house.
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Costly Damage: The cubs have taken a liking to chewing on the central air conditioning wires, threatening the home’s cooling system.
Why Not Just Move Them?
Many residents have asked why the state hasn’t stepped in. According to NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, moving a bear family is a high-stakes gamble.
“Any intervention is really a last course of action,” O’Brien-Lim shared. The state explained the risks:
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Abandonment: Hazing the mother out could cause her to flee and abandon her cubs.
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Complicated Relocation: Tranquilizing the mother would require wildlife experts to find a “surrogate” sow for the cubs or manually build a new den nearby.
State officials initially predicted the bears would move on within 48 hours of emerging. However, two weeks later, the furry family is still lingering, much to the chagrin of the “landlords” upstairs.
Bear Safety Tips for Bergen County Residents
With bear sightings on the rise in Northern New Jersey, the NJDEP reminds residents to:
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Secure Trash: Use bear-resistant garbage cans.
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Clean Grills: Remove grease and food residue after every use.
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Feed Pets Indoors: Never leave pet food outside overnight.
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Keep Distance: Never approach or feed a bear, especially a mother with cubs.
Have you spotted the Oakland bears? Let us know in the comments!
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