Bear Spotted On Major Road In Bergen County On Tuesday: Officials

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Officials in Ramsey warned the public that a bear was spotted in a residential area Tuesday morning.

"Bear sighting in the area of Wyckoff Ave," they wrote just before 10:30 a.m. "Not deemed to be aggressive."

While experts say that bears usually avoid humans, local experts tend to warn people in residential areas because adults, children, and pets in New Jersey and New York have been hurt or killed by bears.

Incidents of aggressive bears have included:

• In May 2024, a bear killed a Chihuahua and injured another dog in Sparta.
• In 2020, a black bear attacked an 82-year-old man in his garage in West Milford. The bear was euthanized.
• In 2014, a black bear killed a Rutgers University student who was hiking at a nature preserve in New Jersey.
• In 2002, a bear took a baby girl out of her stroller in the Catskills and killed her.

READ MORE: Video Shows Bear Family Running Past Bergen County Driveways

Advice From Officials

Officials in Bergen County have given this advice:

• Keep a safe distance.
• Do not approach, follow, or corner the animal.
• Secure garbage, pet food, bird feeders, and other potential food sources.
• Keep pets on a leash and supervise them while outdoors.
• If the bear approaches, remain calm, make yourself appear large, and slowly back away.

The state's "Bear Bear Aware" site suggests that it's best to avoid leaving food out. If you see a bear, make noise to scare it away.

If attacked, don't "play dead"; instead, fight back. To read more about what to do and who to call if you see a bear, click here.

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, black bears are now found in all the state’s 21 counties.

Last year, Mahwah High School students decided to raise awareness about how to react when a bear appears, trying to educate children and reduce the risks. The students brought their book, "The Adventures of Bergen the Bear," to local schools.

In emergencies, dial 9-1-1.