Black bear spotted in Edison day after Plainfield sighting
Suzanne RussellEDISON – Township police were awaiting the arrival of wildlife officials Friday morning for a bear in a tree in the area of Doris Court and Jean Place, off Oak Tree Road, not far from the Plainfield border where a large black bear was spotted Thursday.
Deputy Police Chief Robert Dudash Jr. said it's unknown if it's the same bear seen in Plainfield but added it's possible.
Dudash said officers were standing by awaiting representatives from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Fish & Wildlife. Edison Animal Control also was on the scene, he said.
Earlier in the day the bear was seen near Park Avenue and as a result, officials at Woodbook Elementary School and Woodrow Wilson Middle School, both in Edison, and Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen were notified.
Social media posts also indicate the bear was spotted in the area of Stephenville Parkway.
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Residents who spot a bear are advised to stay indoors, keep pets inside and notify police.
On Thursday students in several Plainfield schools had to shelter in place after a bear was in a tree nearby. Plainfield officials also banned walking in several nearby streets before the bear left the city heading toward Scotch Plains, according to a local media report.
According to the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife, black bears are the largest land mammal in the state and their population has been increasing and expanding southward and eastward throughout New Jersey. Black bear sightings have been confirmed in all 21 New Jersey counties.
While black bears tend to be wary of people, New Jersey Fish & Wildlife urges residents not to feed, approach or run from bears or make direct eye contact which may be viewed as a challenge. People are urged to remain calm and back away slowly, make the bear aware a person is there by being loud and using an assertive voice, make yourself look big by waving your arms or a jacket above your head and make sure the bear has an escape route.
Black bear damage or nuisance behavior should be reported to the state Department of Environmental Protection's 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).
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Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.