Bear Spotted In Middletown Thursday Night

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Coyotes, seals and now a bear have all been spotted in Middletown Township.

A bear was sighted Thursday night in the area of Nut Swamp Road, the Township said in a statement. The state Division of Fish and Wildlife responded and they are monitoring the situation. The Middletown Police Department has increased patrols in the area as well.

As the Manchester Patch reported, a bear was seen in Manchester Sunday night. Manchester Township police were called to Holly Hill Road in the Holly Oaks section Sunday evening. The bear, believed to be approximately 200-250 pounds, was located climbing a tree in a homeowner's yard. Officers using sirens, air horns and water hoses were able to move the bear, which was not aggressive, to the wooded area behind Holly Oaks along the Jackson and Toms River border, police said.

In addition to those sightings, a black bear was reported seen in the area of Whitesville Road and Hope Chapel Road in Jackson Township late Sunday night.

Call 911 immediately to report a sighting and do not approach a bear if you see one. Keep all garbage in sealed cans, and remove all food left out for pets. Keep a watch on your children and pets if they are outside. Police officers in New Jersey are not permitted to utilize lethal force on any animals, domestic or wild, that do not pose an immediate threat to their safety or the safety of others.

Patch file photo of a bear in Woodbridge, NJ in summer 2016.