Community Corner

Tranquilized Bear Drops Out of Tree in Montclair

Large crowd gathers around Watchung Park for rare black bear sighting in the suburbs.

Story updated at 2:55 p.m. Tuesday.

A black bear captured in a Montclair park Tuesday has been identified as an 18-month-old male cub weighing approximately 158 lbs., according to Montclair Police officials.

The bear was tranquilized while perched on a tree branch about 12-feet above the ground in Watchung Park, located across from the Watchung Avenue train station. The cub became woozy and slipped from the tree and landed safely onto a net.

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Montclair Police, Fire Department and Animal Control personnel worked with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to capture the bear. 

The bear was tagged and tattooed and was to be released in a state reservation, Montclair Det. Lt. Angel Roman said.

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The bear was contained to the tree by Montclair Police from about 7 to 9:20 a.m. by using hammers and branches to make noise until the Division of Fish and Wildlife employees arrived. 

Outside play and activities were prohibited at Montclair public elementary and middle schools Tuesday on account of the bear, according to a notice sent to parents from the district superintendent. A similar restriction was placed at Hillside Elementary School on Monday after reports of a black bear on Myrtle Avenue. 

Roman said he believed Monday's bear is the same one that ended up in the Watchung Park tree. 

"The bear was first seen yesterday just after noon time. Police received several calls throughout the rest of the day and into the early morning hours as residents spotted the bear at times," he said in a release.

Roman said the bear was seen by police climbing up the tree at 6:40 a.m.

A large crowd of people many on their way to work and school stood around the perimeter of the park right outside Watchung Plaza, taking hundreds of pictures and videos with their cell phones, iPads and digital cameras.

Even though the work day had started, many like Becky Koch stuck around to watch the bear, unwilling to miss any action.

“As soon as I turn the corner, the bear is going to jump out of the tree,” Koch said.

Nancy Arny Pi-Sunyer compared the sighting to Buzz Aldrin’s visit to his hometown of Montclair two days earlier.

“I admire both Buzz and bears,” Arny Pi-Sunger said with a laugh. “They are both very brave and they have both gone up very high.”

Roman said he has been working in Montclair for 20 years and has not heard of a bear sighting before.

Watchung Avenue resident Sue Juliano said the bear had been in her yard minutes before heading into the park. 

Juliano said the bear knocked down her bird feeder and ate all the bird food.

Related Stories:

  • Montclair's Black Bear Feasts on Bird Seed
  • Montclair Bear Sightings Latest in Essex County
  • Bear Stuck in Tree Shuts Down Outside Activities at Schools


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