Black bear still making the rounds in Princeton Thursday
A black bear was last seen wandering around Princeton in the Karin Court area on Thursday morning, police said.
On Wednesday, a resident on Stetson Way, which is a cross street for Gallup Road, captured a black bear on video and took photos of him checking out some garbage cans.
On Aug. 13, a resident of Snowden Lane shared footage of a black bear .heading up the driveway. Watch the bear in the upper right corner trotting toward the house as family members scream and run indoors.
On the same day, reader Margery Mark shared a photo of a black bear she saw as she was driving along Terhune Road near All Saints Church. “I stopped, he crossed the street, and headed up into someone’s yard,” she said.
If you see a black bear, don’t attempt to approach it. Following are tips to reduce bear-related encounters:
- Secure your trash in bear-resistant garbage containers or with tight-fitting lids to reduce odors.
- Clean any food scraps from grills porches and decks, and keep meet scraps out of compost piles.
- Pets should not be fed outdoors unless absolutely necessary
- Immediately remove all uneaten food and bowls used by pets fed outdoors.
- Put out garbage on collection day, not the night before.
- Wash garbage containers with disinfectant to remove odors.
- Secure beehives, livestock, and fruit crops with an electric fence.
Residents should report bear damage, nuisance behavior, or aggressive bears to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337) or call the police department. Additional bear information can be found on the DEP website.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.
These young bears are born in the spring and by this time of year they get to a size (150 pounds) where they can forage for themselves and the sow usually runs them off. They usually end up heading toward Hunterdon County, as may be demonstrated by sightings in the near future further north (usually Princeton Ridge, etc.).