By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
A young black bear decided to spend the Fourth of July weekend visiting Princeton and Montgomery Township, according to the Princeton and Montgomery police departments.
The bear was initially observed running into Herrontown Woods, off Herrontown Road, Saturday night, Princeton police said. The Animal Control Officer was contacted, but the bear could not be located.
On Sunday, the bear was observed in the area of Clearview Avenue and Tee-Ar Place. And on Monday morning, the bear walked into the woods off Hoover Avenue in Montgomery Township, police said.
Bears are not generally observed in residential areas, but some areas are more likely to see bear traffic than others. Bears sometimes use back yards as part of their natural travel corridors, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.
The presence of a black bear is not considered to be a problem, because bears tend to be wary of people. But it is important not to leave out food or garbage, which may attract bears and encourage them to linger in the neighborhood, the DEP said.
It is illegal to feed bears and it is also dangerous, according to the DEP. Anyone feeding bears could face a fine of up to $1,000 for each offense.
Bears learn to associate food with people, and they will eat almost anything — human food, garbage, pet food, birdseed and even small livestock. They may lose their wariness of people and keep returning to the food source.
Bears can become a nuisance, and they may become aggressive, the DEP said. They may have to be trapped and conditioned not to visit neighborhoods, or they may have to be destroyed.
Residents can report black bear damage or nuisance behavior by calling the DEP’s 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-877-927-6337.
