Wandering bear prompts New Jersey school district to cancel outdoor activities
ESSEX COUNTY, New Jersey (WABC) -- Reports of a wandering bear in Essex County prompted a local school district to cancel all outdoor activities out of an abundance of caution.
The South Orange & Maplewood School District said Monday that all district schools were canceling outdoor activities.
That included open lunch at Columbia High School and outdoor recess at all other schools.
A spokesman for the school district said being that the last police report of a bear sighting was at about 10 a.m., all after-school activities would be held as scheduled.
The spokesman said all students and staff would continue to stay inside for the remainder of the school day.
Bear sightings are up in New Jersey 69.5% compared to this time last year, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. However, total interactions are down by 1.26% and damage and nuisance is down by 13.24%.
More than half of those interactions were in Sussex County.
Some of the recent sightings include in Ridgewood on Monday, in Ramsey on Sunday, in Prospect Park and Haledon on May 10 and in Wyckoff on May 9.
ALSO READ | 'Smiling' black bear looking over Pasadena goes viral
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
