UPDATED: Bear In Montclair Seen On Church, South Park Streets

Editor’s Note: The pictured bear is not the one spotted in Montclair on Thursday.

Montclair, NJ – A bear in Montclair?

Emergency responders  and animal control officers responded to a sighting of a black bear on Thursday in the Church Street area, surrounding the animal and securing the area, officials said.

Montclair town officials released the following statement about the incident:

"Earlier today a bear was spotted roaming in Montclair Center in the area of Church and Plymouth streets. Police, Fire, Animal Control and Community Services personnel were dispatched to secure the area and DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife was notified. DEP officers came to the scene and tranquilized, tagged and tattooed the animal and will release it in an appropriate wildlife refuge."

TAP Into Montclair shared a message to parents from the Hillside School principal that allegedly stated:
“A bear sighting was reported to us by the Montclair Police Department. The bear has been contained to the Church Street area. As a precaution we will keep all students inside the school building until the ALL CLEAR from the Montclair Police Department has been made. All staff and students are safe, I will communicate an update prior to the end of the school day.

Patch will update this article if more information becomes available.

Read about some past bear encounters and sightings around the Montclair area below.

• Black Bear Seen Moving Towards Montclair
• Tranquilized Bear Drops Out of Tree In Montclair
• Black Bear Sightings Increase as Spring Arrives in Essex County
• Montclair Bear Bares All on Twitter

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File Photo: NJDEP