Community Corner

WATCH: One-Armed Bear Walks On Two Feet Through Backyard

This is the best footage yet of 'Pedals,' New Jersey's famous bear.

Oak Ridge, NJ – He’s baaacck!

Everyone’s favorite bipedal bear (not that there’s a lot of competition) is back for the summer and walking around Oak Ridge in Jefferson Township.

Pedals, as he’s affectionately known, was first spotted in 2014 walking on his hind legs. It was later discovered he likely suffered an injury to his right front leg, making it difficult for him to walk on all four legs like ordinary bears.

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Resident Joey Esposito came across Pedals earlier this week and posted a 5-minute video to the Facebook page Pedals The Injured Bipedal Bear on Monday, June 20.

“Ran into Pedals The Bear Today 6/20/16!! A lil beat up, But going strong!!” Esposito wrote.

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The video has since been viewed more than 100,000 times, and it’s clearly the best footage yet. At times, Esposito gets within mere feet of Pedals, who looks like he’s out for a stroll and searching for some food.

The bruin has become a neighborhood favorite in recent years, gaining widespread attention and support. A group of community members launched a fundraiser in 2015 with the hopes of getting Pedals to an upstate New York wildlife sanctuary that could properly care for him.

See related: Fundraiser Seeks $10K For Injured Bear Walking On Two Legs In Morris County

The fundraiser hauled in $22,725, but Pedals was never relocated. In order to do so, the New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife needed to assess the bear but could never locate him.

Take a look at how Pedals is currently doing in the video below:


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.