Essex County Bear Sighting: Roseland Police Say ‘Stay Alert’ – Livingston, NJ Patch

ROSELAND, NJ — A bear was spotted in Essex County last weekend, one of the first reported cases so far this spring.

On Saturday, the Roseland Police Department said a bear was seen the Holmehill section of the borough.

“Please stay alert and use caution in the area,” police said.

Last weekend’s incident in Roseland followed another recent sighting in the Short Hills section of Millburn in May. In that incident, a black bear was spotted climbing a tree in a residential neighborhood; officials didn’t capture the bear.

A resident posted a video of the bear in his driveway Monday morning on the Facebook group Happy Millburn. He wrote, “We spotted the bear just before 8 a.m. on Wellington walking across our driveway then into the woods. We contacted Millburn PD and they watched the bear make its way to Woodland via the woods/backyards.”

Essex County is no stranger to bears. In recent years, bear sightings have been reported in Montclair, Verona, Livingston, North Caldwell, West Orange, Bloomfield, Irvington, Maplewood and Millburn, among other places.

According to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, black bears are the largest land mammal in New Jersey. They are an integral part of the state’s natural heritage and a vital component of healthy ecosystems.

Since the 1980s the Garden State’s black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range both southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. Within the most densely populated state in the nation, black bears are thriving and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey’s counties, the NJDFW states on its website.

“The most common bear problem New Jersey’s residents experience is black bears getting into their garbage,” state officials say. “Bears are attracted to neighborhoods by garbage odors, so properly securing your garbage is one of the best ways to prevent bears from becoming a nuisance in your community.”

To report a nuisance black bear, call the DEP’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline: 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com