Bears Spotted In Berkeley Heights, Mountainside

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — A black bear was spotted by multiple residents making its way through the Berkeley Heights community on Tuesday morning and into Mountainside Wednesday.

Christy Gaiti-Chatfield‎ of Berkeley Heights spotted the black bear near her home on Hamilton Avenue behind Columbia School on Monday.

Another resident also spotted a bear in Berkeley Heights running through her backyard around 7 a.m. on April 25 on Deep Dale Drive.

It would seem the bear has either moved onto Mountainside or another bear was spotted in the area. A resident reported caught a black bear munching on her bird feeder around 8 a.m. Wednesday on Bayberry Lane in Mountainside.

Here are some Bear Safety Tips by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection if you do encounter a bear:

• Never feed or approach a bear.
• Remain calm if you encounter a bear. Do not run from it.
• Make the bear aware of your presence by speaking in an assertive voice, singing, clapping your hands, or making other noises.
• Make sure the bear has an escape route.
• If a bear enters your home, provide it with an escape route by propping all doors open.
• Avoid direct eye contact, which may be perceived by a bear as a challenge. Never run from a bear. Instead, slowly back away.
• To scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, banging pots and pans or using an airhorn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.
• The bear may utter a series of huffs, make popping jaw sounds by snapping its jaws and swat the ground. These are warning signs that you are too close. Slowly back away, avoid direct eye contact and do not run.
• If a bear stands on its hind legs or moves closer, it may be trying to get a better view or detect scents in the air. It is usually not a threatening behavior.
• Black bears will sometimes "bluff charge" when cornered, threatened or attempting to steal food. Stand your ground, avoid direct eye contact, then slowly back away and do not run.
• If the bear does not leave, move to a secure area.
• Report black bear damage or nuisance behavior to the DEP's 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).
• Families who live in areas frequented by black bears should have a "Bear Plan" in place for children, with an escape route and planned use of whistles and air horns.
• Black bear attacks are extremely rare. If a black bear does attack, fight back!

Have your own bear picture/video? Share it with Patch. Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com with the town you are from, where the bear was spotted and when it was seen.

(Image via Christy Gaiti-Chatfield‎ of Berkeley Heights)

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