Black bear spotted near school in New Jersey

A black bear spotted roaming near a school in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. (WABC Photo)

  Eyewitness NewsBERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. (WABC) -- A black bear spotted roaming near the Thomas P. Hughes School elementary school in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey caused some concern on Wednesday.

The Board of Education Honeywell Alert system notified all parents about the bear, but it never posed an immediate threat. The bear moved away from the school before student dismissal.

Police said the bear eventually disappeared into a wooded area near Watchung Way around 4:30 p.m.

Township residents are encouraged to contact the Berkeley Heights Police Department, at 908-464-1111, whenever a bear is observed along a roadway or in a residential area.

Most black bears, it should be noted, will continue on their way if left unbothered, officials said. In the highly unusual event that a bear shows aggressive tendencies and poses an immediate danger to persons or domesticated animals, then police officers are authorized to dispose of it.

For more information about bears, please visit the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife's website, www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/bearinfo.htm , which offers many methods and suggestions on the topics of living within black bear areas, and how to react when encountering a bear.

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