Residents warned to not feed wild bruins
By Amy Batista, Special Writer
Oh my, it’s a bear or two.
A pair of black bears were spotted by residents making their way through the local towns, starting Monday afternoon.
Police and other agencies were able to catch one of the bruins and relocate it to North Jersey, but the other remains wandering the area, according to officials.
The first one was spotted strolling along by the one of the local pools, Quad 3, in the East Windsor Twin Rivers Community.
Photos began popping up on Facebook from residents reporting that the bear was in the area.
The first reported sighting was at in the area of the area of Twin Rivers Drive and Farrington Drive at 3:40 p.m. Monday, according to police.
"We were riding bikes by the Quad 3 pool and we decided to chase it," said Ann Rose, of East Windsor. "We rode our bikes along the fence line by the lake. The bear went over the fence and was running along the fence line towards Fairfield. The bear crossed the street and ran into the woods."
David Bosco, of East Windsor, was not at the pool with his daughter Lexi, 9, but she was there with her friend and thought at first someone was in a costume.
"My little one was playing right in the slide area by the side of the pool," said Mr. Bosco. "She thought it was a person in the costume. Her first thought was how that guy must be so hot."
Police and animal control responded and checked the neighborhood where the bear was spotted and was reported.
The bear was again encountered headed in a northerly direction toward a wooded area in Monroe Township.
Police and the animal control officer continued to monitor the bear’s movements at which point it entered into the woods off of Twin Rivers Drive North, police said in a press release on June 23.
There were no reports of property damage or injuries, police said.
A few hours later, Cranbury Township Police reported a bear sighting.
At about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, a black bear was spotted by police officers in a tree line behind a residence on Cranbury Station Road, Chief Rickey Varga stated in an alert that went out to residents.
The alert continued to read, "the behavior of the bear is reported to be non aggressive at this time, however, we remind residents never attempt to approach or feed any wild animals. Keep lids on trash cans and when possible in garages until trash pickup days. Limit the use of bird feeders and keep them away from residences. Close grill lids and bring in unused foods and condiments. Use a common sense approach. Most wildlife is simply attracted towards residences and humans for food. Limit their ability to approach your property. If you see wildlife that you feel may be a hazard to you or itself please notify the police immediately."
According to an alert from Monroe Township Police department on Tuesday morning, two black bears have been sighted moving through the Township. Currently they are in the area of Cranbury South River Road and Costco Drive. The bears usually move through the township heading north.
Frank Helstowski, of Monroe and Gary Hyman, of Monroe, were driving along Federal Road when they came across the bear on Monday evening making its way into Monroe and were able to get a photo of it.
"We couldn’t believe what we saw but we knew eventually they were going to make their way here," said Mr. Helstowski on Tuesday morning in an email.
Residents are urged not to approach or feed a bear and to keep garbage inside your residence, police said.
The New Jersey Department of Protection bear hotline and the Monroe Township Police were notified of the bear’s activities.
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, according to the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife website.
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, according to its website.
According to the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Bear Activity Report, the number of sightings is up from 210 from last year to 254 as of June 20.
Black bears by nature tend to be wary of people.
According to its website, remain calm if you encounter a bear.
Make the bear aware of your presence by speaking in an assertive voice, singing, clapping your hands, or making other noises. Make sure the bear has an escape route.
Avoid direct eye contact, which may be perceived by a bear as a challenge.
Never run from a bear. Instead, slowly back away.
Black bear attacks are extremely rare. If a black bear does attack, fight back.
To report black bear damage or nuisance behavior to the DEP’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).

