Blake Neiman woke up to a bit of a surprise on his door camera system today: a rather large bear investigating the garbage can at the curb.
Neiman lives in the Brookdale section of town and there have been bears there in the past. In June 2013 a bear wandered through the area for several days before settling in a tree on Afterglow Avenue. (State wildlife officials safely relocated it out of our area.) But there have been bears wandering on other Verona streets in recent years: On Crestmont in 2017, and near the Claridge towers in 2016.
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If you see a bear, you may not need to call 911; it may just be traveling through your yard en route to its destination. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife has posted tips on how to keep pets safe and making your garbage less enticing. And remember: Intentionally feeding bears could lead to a $1,000 fine.
But if the bear is showing threatening or nuisance behavior, you can report it to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).
