Area residents can expect to see more of the creatures as they migrate from their traditional habitats.
By: Steve Rauscher
MONTGOMERY While lions and tigers still seem to be the province of fairy tales, zoos and Detroit sports franchises, it appears that bears have become a part of everyday life in suburban New Jersey.
Just days after a young, male black bear was spotted in Plainsboro, another black bear appeared in the back yard of township resident Bob Sifniades. Mr. Sifniades was enjoying a quiet Friday morning in his Sourland Mountain home on Spring Hill Road when he heard a strange crunching sound emanating from the yard.
"I opened up my window and I saw him," Mr. Sifniades said of the 3-foot-tall black bear that ambled across his deck and through his yard for about five minutes. "He didn’t seem startled."
You couldn’t say the same for Mr. Sifniades.
"I was surprised and excited," he said. "But then I became concerned, because I know that bears can be dangerous."
Mr. Sifniades snapped about 15 photos of the bear before calling the Montgomery Township Police Department. By the time an officer arrived, however, the bear had departed.
"I heard from some of my neighbors and a jogger nearby that they’d seen him, too," he said. "I guess he’s getting around."
This is the first black bear siting reported to the police here, township Police Director Michael Beltranena said. Any further sitings should be reported immediately, and under no circumstances should anyone approach a black bear, he said.
Al Ivany, a spokesman for the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, said that if a bear becomes a nuisance, Fish and Wildlife personnel will capture it and move it to a less populated area. Otherwise, the bears will be left alone. The division had not sent anyone to investigate the Montgomery incident, he said.
As the bear population grows, Mr. Ivany said, residents can expect to see more of them as they migrate from their traditional habitats in the northern part of the state. At this time of year, male bears are roaming far and wide in search of females with whom to mate, and mother bears are driving off their year-old cubs, or yearlings, forcing them to find and establish their own territory.
Black bears probably will migrate south to the Pine Barrens, Mr. Ivany said, making their way along river and stream corridors.
"The biggest obstacle to the migration has been roads and highways," he said. "But they’re finding ways to get over them or under them." Though bear sitings undoubtedly will become more common, Mr. Ivany and Mr. Beltranena said that any appearance in the area still should be reported.
Bears usually explore populated areas in search of food, Mr. Ivany said. Residents in wooded areas should remove bird feeders or squirrel feeders from their back yards and make sure garbage cans are tightly sealed to help ensure that bears keep their distance, he said.
"The worst thing you can do is feed them," he said. "People have to remember that these are big, strong, wild animals."
To see more pictures of the bear spotted in Montgomery on Friday, visit www.bobsif.netfirms.com/blackbear.