A black bear was tranquilized on Wednesday after spending several hours in the branches of a tree in a Passaic County town, drawing the attention of people living nearby and curious onlookers.
The bear, which was small and younger than 2 years old, was spotted in a tree behind a home in Haledon, according to Larry Hajna, spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Local police officers kept an eye on the bear until the DEP arrived. They waited for the bear to come down from the tree and tranquilized him, Hajna said, adding that the animal was later released into the woods in Passaic County.
Bear sightings become more common as the weather gets warmer. Last week, a bear spent time near the top of a utility pole outside a bakery in the Bergen County town of Wyckoff. Eventually, the animal climbed down and wandered away, police said.
State and local officials throughout New Jersey have urged residents living where bears are commonly spotted to use bear-proof containers to store garbage and to refrain from feeding the animals.
The DEP warns residents not to feed bears and says anyone caught feeding the animals could face fines of up to $1,000 for each offense.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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