Bear Spotted At William Paterson U. As Local Sightings Emerge

WAYNE, NJ — Typically, the only bear expected at William Paterson University is Pio, the school mascot. But a real bear came to campus Sunday, with several nearby towns also reporting bear sightings in recent days.

Witnesses saw the bear on campus by Entry 6 — the northeastern entrance to the campus by West Overlook Drive, according to the university's map. The bear was near Pioneer and Heritage Halls — apartments across from the baseball field.

The campus hasn't seen any bears since then, a university spokesperson told Patch on Tuesday afternoon. But nearby towns have spotted at least two black bears in the past few days. Read more: Black Bears In Bergen: Paramus Police Say Second Bear Sighted Monday

Two bears were sighted Monday in Paramus, Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg told Patch. Borough police said Monday morning that a "non-aggressive black bear" had been seen. Wyckoff police also reported a bear sighting Sunday evening.

It's uncertain whether the bear spotted in Wayne on Sunday had also been in the nearby towns with bear sightings.

William Paterson sent an alert about the bear to the university community Sunday about the bear and offered some safety tips for bear encounters:

• Do not approach the bear.
• Make the bear aware of your presence by making noise.
• Call university police at 973-720-2300.

If you encounter a bear at close range, university officials advise you to do the following:

• Remain standing.
• Back up slowly.
• Speak aloud in a calm yet assertive voice, and also call university police as soon as possible.
• If you see a bear on campus while you're inside a vehicle, remain inside, sound your horn and contact university police.

Additionally, never follow a bear, never leave food out in the open or in your vehicle, never hike alone in the adjacent wooded areas and never provoke or feed a bear, the university said.

With reporting from Michelle Rotuno-Johnson/Patch Staff.

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