Bear safely removed after getting stuck in tree in backyard of home in New Jersey

Wednesday, May 18, 2022
HALEDON, New Jersey (WABC) -- A bear was tranquilized and removed from a tree after getting stuck in it for several hours on Wednesday afternoon.

News Copter 7 was over the backyard of a home located at 45 East Haledon, where the bear was spotted stuck in a tree.

This is a residential area with no woods around, which left many neighbors shocked.

"It's crazy because how did the bear get up there? That's what I want to know," neighbor Terry Rouse said. "It must be scared of the people that's out here or the traffic."

"That's real crazy, coming from around here we don't even live around bears, I've never seen a bear, that's my first time seeing a bear," neighbor Joseph Escobar said.

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Police were on the scene monitoring the bear and keeping people away from it until the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection arrived.

They waited for the bear to descend from the tree, and when it did, tranquilized him.


The sleeping bear, said to be about 17 months old, was then tagged. The plan is to release him into the woods in Passaic County.

Residents are being reminded that they should seal their garbage tight and not leave any food outside.

While most bears don't attack people, if they come across a bear, it's recommended to make a lot of noise.

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