Black Bear Spotted in Princeton on Nassau Street Tuesday Night (Updated)

A juvenile black bear was seen in Princeton several times Tuesday night and was last spotted this morning on Canal Road in West Windsor, police said.

Officials estimated that the bear weighs about 150 lbs.

Borough Police placed a reverse 911 call to residents last night to warn them about the bear, which was spotted on Linden Lane near Nassau Street at 10:45 p.m. Police advised residents to bring garbage cans and bird feeders inside and to not approach the bear. Anyone who sees a bear should call the police department at (609) 921-4141. Princeton Township residents also received a call this morning alerting them about the bear.

The bear sightings began at 8:35 p.m. when Princeton Township Police received reports that a black bear was spotted in the Shadybrook Lane area. A black bear was spotted several times the previous day in South Brunswick along Route 27. It is unclear if the bear is the same one seen in Princeton last night.

Since the 1980s, New Jersey’s black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range both southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. Black bears are thriving within the most densely populated state in the nation, and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey’s counties, according to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.