Crime & Safety

Springfield Police Issue Statement on Bears

In statement, police offer tips for dealing with bears.

The Springfield Police Department has issued a press release about the rash of bear sightings in the Township.

In the release, police say that one black bear that appears to be approximately 150 lbs has been spotted several times in various Springfield neighborhoods, including Baltusrol Golf Club and the residential areas surrounding the golf club as well as the residential area of Springfield top adjacent to the Watchung Reservation.

Police say the bear has not yet displayed aggression and are so far retreating when approached by people. Police nonetheless urge caution and have offered guidelines for safety.

Police note that NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection will not respond to capture a roaming bear unless it is found to be acting in an aggressive manner or has attacked persons or attempted to break into a house.

The full release is below.

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The police department has been contacted by residents of various residential areas in Springfield over the past week with reports of bear sightings in the residential areas. In response to these reports a police officer is dispatched to the last known location of the bear in order to prevent any confrontations between the bear and persons or their pets. The sightings all pertain to a single bear being observed as they are mainly solitary animals unless it is a mother bear with her cubs. In the sightings in Springfield the bear observed each time is a black bear that appears to weigh approximately 150 pounds.

The NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife which is part of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection will not respond to capture a roaming bear unless it is found to be acting in an aggressive manner or has attacked persons or attempted to break into a house. The bear sightings in Springfield have the bear moving away from people but this is not to say it can’t pose a serious threat. The NJ-DEP has indicated that black bear attacks are very rare but the agency does have “Bear Safety Tips” that can be found online by going to http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts_safetytips.htm

Recent sightings have been at the Baltusrol Golf Club and residential areas surrounding the golf club as well as the residential area of Springfield top which is adjacent to the Watchung Reservation.

Captain John Cook, the officer-in-charge of the police department, warns residents to not approach any bear and to never feed them. Garbage cans should have the lids secured and children and pets should be watched when outdoors in yards without fences. If a bear is approaching you should back away slowly but do not run.

Never make eye contact with a bear. Any sighting of a bear that is in a residential area should be reported to the police so a police officer can respond to aid in keeping it away from people and pets until it goes back towards the wooded areas.


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