Bear Seen In Livingston: Cops Say ‘Just Stay Indoors'

Editor’s Note: The pictured bear is not the animal mentioned in the below article.

Livingston, NJ – Sometimes the best response is no response.

The Livingston Police Department issued a refreshingly non-alarmist statement on Thursday night about a bear spotted in the Morningside Drive area.

“There is nothing we can do,” police wrote. “If you see it just stay indoors and let it continue on. Do not approach or feed the bear please.”

Several other bear sightings have been reported in Essex County over the past months.

• See related article: These N.J. Towns Have Bear Warnings, And More Sightings

In April, the Verona Police Department issued an alert warning residents that a black bear was reportedly spotted in the wooded area behind Pilgrim Plaza on Pompton Avenue (behind Kings Food Market and along the side of Claridge House 2).

“The bear appears to be moving in a southeasterly direction towards West Orange and Montclair,” police stated.

• See related article: Black Bear Seen In Verona, Moving Towards West Orange and Montclair

Later that month, authorities removed a black bear from the area around the Hilton Library on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood.

• See related article: Black Bear Seen In Maplewood Near Hilton Library

Last year, bear sightings were reported in the Millburn-Short Hills area near the Poets section of Hartshorn Elementary School and Deerfield Elementary School, in North Caldwell around the Harding and Aspen Drive areas, and at a Bloomfield cemetery.

• See related article: Black Bear Sightings Increase as Spring Arrives in Essex County

BEAR SCARE?

Bear sightings in the spring have been an increasingly common phenomenon around suburban areas over the past decades, and typically peak in May and June during the animals’ mating season, according to the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.

“Black bears have been sighted in all 21 New Jersey counties, and bear-human encounters have occurred more frequently in recent years in places outside of traditional bear country, defined as the area west of Interstate 287 and north of Interstate 78,” the agency states on its website.

The DEP estimates that there are 3,600 black bears in northwestern New Jersey.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, since bears are large and strong animals, many people fear them and resent the damage they can cause, a misunderstanding that needs to be corrected.

“The key to successful co-existence between humans and bears is to recognize that it is no longer possible for either species to occupy all habitats but that where co-occupancy is possible and desirable, humans must be responsible for the welfare of the bear population,” the NWF states on their website.

“Wild areas with little human footprint will remain the most important habitat for bears but peaceful co-existence can occur in the urban-wildland interface as long as humans take the necessary steps to assure that the relationship remains a positive one.”

Read about what to do during an encounter with a black bear here.

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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