Multiple Bear Sightings In Old Bridge Over The Weekend

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — There were multiple bear sightings in Old Bridge over the past weekend, Old Bridge Police announced on Facebook Monday.

Bears or a single bear were seen in the areas of Prestmill Road, East Greystone and the hills of Matchaponix, said police.

Bear encounters have more than doubled this year, according to this latest data from the state Department of Environmental Protection, possibly in large part because Gov. Phil Murphy ended the bear hunt. Murphy officially ended the state's bear hunt in 2021. 2020 was the last year New Jersey had a bear hunt.

There have been 374 bear encounters in NJ so far in 2022, much higher than the 168 incidents in the first five months of 2021. The encounters reported this year included one attack on a human, two unprovoked attacks on dogs and 27 incidents involving property damage, according to the state's data.

Bears have been spotted last week in Middletown, Holmdel and Atlantic Highlands.

"Per New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, they believe that the bear will move on. They will not respond to remove the bear from your location unless it gets into a fixed position such as a tree or an enclosure," said Old Bridge Police. "They advised that as long as it has avenues of escape, they do not attempt to remove a bear."

If you see the bear, please call the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection at (877) 927-6337 or call Old Bridge Police at (732) 721-4000.