Category: #GreaterPrincetonNJ

PRINCETON — A black bear exploring Princeton is making waves as it passes through residential neighborhoods and frightens some families.

The bear has been meandering through the Ivy League town for at least a week. An alert from police on Aug. 11 said the bear was spotted near Route 27, where it runs alongside Carnegie Lake.

Planet Princeton reported that the bear was seen again Thursday in the area of Karin Court south of the Springdale Golf Club. In the meantime, it’s ventured by Riverside Elementary, the All Saints Church on Terhune Road, and Gallup Road.

“Do not attempt to approach or interact with the animal,” police said. “Do not feed, chase or interact with the bear. Notify police if any aggressive behavior is observed.”

One video submitted to Planet Princeton shows a family running inside after spotting the bear running up their driveway. The bear has also been seen taking interest in people’s trash cans.

A statewide bear activity report for July from the Division of Fish and Wildlife shows that total reported incidents have tripled over last year. The biggest jumps were in reports of aggressive encounters, nuisance calls, and sightings.

Mercer County was quiet last year with zero incidents from June 20 to July 21, 2021. This year, the county saw a spike up to 11 incidents in the same period.

Residents can report black bear damage and nuisance cases to the Department of Environmental Protection hotline at 1-877-927-6337.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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Luis Navas has been promoted to the rank of sergeant in the Princeton Police Department.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at the municipal complex on Monday.

Navas has been a member of the police department since 2005. A graduate of the Somerset Police Academy, he grew up in Edison. He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Kean University. During his time on the police force, he served in the patrol division for many years and also worked in the detective bureau for several years.

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.