Black Bear Reportedly Seen Near Hiking Trail

A black bear was reportedly seen in High Mountain Park near the yellow hiking trail. The town issued a alert about the sighting on its Web site Tuesday morning.

The notification did not say exactly when the bear was spotted but did say that the area is a natural habitat for bears.

Nether of the could be reached.

Black bear sightings are not uncommon in Wayne. One was in a tree on Black Oak Ridge Road near Pompton Plains Crossroads. That bear stayed up in a tree for a few hours before it finally climbed down and ran away towards Route 23.

A Wayne Police ranger attempted to lure that bear out of the tree with doughnuts.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife has issued the following bear safety tips:

• Never feed or approach a bear.
• Make a bear aware of your presence by speaking in an assertive voice, singing, clipping your hands, or making other noises.
• Avoid direct eye contact and never run away from a bear. Instead, slowly back away.

To report a black bear call Wayne animal control at 973-694-9295 or the state Department of Environmental Protection’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline at (877) 927-6337.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.