NJ bear breaks in house
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:39 pm
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... /809090334
this is wwhat happens when you don't have a legal bear season:
Cops: Black bear enters home in Boonton Twp.
Bruin helps itself to bag of groceries that were left on the kitchen counter
By Tehani Schneider • Daily Record • September 9, 2008
BOONTON TWP. -- A black bear foraging for food broke into a Boonton Avenue home on Monday afternoon and feasted on groceries left on the kitchen counter, police said.
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Police said the homeowner -- a 76-year-old woman whose name was not released -- returned home around 2 p.m. to find her kitchen window and door screens had been ripped open and groceries were strewn across the floor.
The woman immediately went to her neighbor's and called 911, telling police that she believed an animal, possibly a bear, was the culprit.
Sgt. Daniel Worts said officers arrived to find groceries, including TV dinner containers, an orange and two small empty milk cartons, strewn across the ground outside the two-story home.
The bear was gone but left claw prints in the ripped screen and across the vinyl siding of the house.
"It did damage the home slightly," Worts said of the bear.
Police notified the state Division of Fish & Wildlife but had yet to receive a response on Monday afternoon, he said.
Younger bruin suspected
Police believe the animal was a younger bruin based on three factors: the claw prints, the size of the kitchen window that the bear gained entry through and the screen door it tore through to leave the home.
The homeowner told police she receives groceries through a home delivery service, and one paper bag of food was left on a counter in the kitchen earlier in the day.
It was unclear where the resident was when the bear broke in, but police said she left the kitchen windows open with the screens closed.
When she returned and saw the mess, she notified her neighbor, who went to the woman's house to see if the bear was still there.
Police said any resident should call 911 immediately if they return home and believe a bear has been in their house.
"If there were a bear inside the home, she could really put herself in harm's way," Worts said. "By all means, a person should never check the house. ... Leave that responsibility to us."
Worts said the bag of food did not contain any significant item that would have enticed the bear, but it was most likely hungry.
Township's first break-in
Monday's break-in was the first time a bruin has broken into a township home, although police have seen a spike in bear complaints from homeowners in the last few weeks, Worts said.
Residents have reported their dogs have chased bears up trees and bruins have been seen rummaging through trash bins, police said.
"The bear population has certainly been active within the last few weeks," Worts said. "But this is the first time that they've actually entered a residence. ... This is the first one that really would fit the nuisance criteria."
State DEP records 55
Darlene Yuhas, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said as of August, the agency has recorded 55 reports of bears breaking into homes across the state.
Yuhas said she was unaware of Monday's incident in Boonton Township, but the DEP would record it as a home entry by a black bear.
"Home entries are among the incidents that we consider to be the most serious," Yuhas said. "And bears that break into homes, we make an effort to capture them, if possible. They're euthanized."
Since August, the DEP has recorded 1,372 incidents of damage and nuisance created by bears statewide.
The agency expects those numbers to increase in the following months, as bears seek food sources in preparation for winter, Yuhas said.
"Over the next couple of months, it's particularly important for residents to be aware that bears are preparing for their winter denning," she said.
"That includes taking extra precautions with garbage and bird feeders and not leaving food out where bears can find it."
Tehani Schneider can be reached at (973) 428-6631 or tschneider@gannett.com.
this is wwhat happens when you don't have a legal bear season:
Cops: Black bear enters home in Boonton Twp.
Bruin helps itself to bag of groceries that were left on the kitchen counter
By Tehani Schneider • Daily Record • September 9, 2008
BOONTON TWP. -- A black bear foraging for food broke into a Boonton Avenue home on Monday afternoon and feasted on groceries left on the kitchen counter, police said.
Advertisement
Police said the homeowner -- a 76-year-old woman whose name was not released -- returned home around 2 p.m. to find her kitchen window and door screens had been ripped open and groceries were strewn across the floor.
The woman immediately went to her neighbor's and called 911, telling police that she believed an animal, possibly a bear, was the culprit.
Sgt. Daniel Worts said officers arrived to find groceries, including TV dinner containers, an orange and two small empty milk cartons, strewn across the ground outside the two-story home.
The bear was gone but left claw prints in the ripped screen and across the vinyl siding of the house.
"It did damage the home slightly," Worts said of the bear.
Police notified the state Division of Fish & Wildlife but had yet to receive a response on Monday afternoon, he said.
Younger bruin suspected
Police believe the animal was a younger bruin based on three factors: the claw prints, the size of the kitchen window that the bear gained entry through and the screen door it tore through to leave the home.
The homeowner told police she receives groceries through a home delivery service, and one paper bag of food was left on a counter in the kitchen earlier in the day.
It was unclear where the resident was when the bear broke in, but police said she left the kitchen windows open with the screens closed.
When she returned and saw the mess, she notified her neighbor, who went to the woman's house to see if the bear was still there.
Police said any resident should call 911 immediately if they return home and believe a bear has been in their house.
"If there were a bear inside the home, she could really put herself in harm's way," Worts said. "By all means, a person should never check the house. ... Leave that responsibility to us."
Worts said the bag of food did not contain any significant item that would have enticed the bear, but it was most likely hungry.
Township's first break-in
Monday's break-in was the first time a bruin has broken into a township home, although police have seen a spike in bear complaints from homeowners in the last few weeks, Worts said.
Residents have reported their dogs have chased bears up trees and bruins have been seen rummaging through trash bins, police said.
"The bear population has certainly been active within the last few weeks," Worts said. "But this is the first time that they've actually entered a residence. ... This is the first one that really would fit the nuisance criteria."
State DEP records 55
Darlene Yuhas, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said as of August, the agency has recorded 55 reports of bears breaking into homes across the state.
Yuhas said she was unaware of Monday's incident in Boonton Township, but the DEP would record it as a home entry by a black bear.
"Home entries are among the incidents that we consider to be the most serious," Yuhas said. "And bears that break into homes, we make an effort to capture them, if possible. They're euthanized."
Since August, the DEP has recorded 1,372 incidents of damage and nuisance created by bears statewide.
The agency expects those numbers to increase in the following months, as bears seek food sources in preparation for winter, Yuhas said.
"Over the next couple of months, it's particularly important for residents to be aware that bears are preparing for their winter denning," she said.
"That includes taking extra precautions with garbage and bird feeders and not leaving food out where bears can find it."
Tehani Schneider can be reached at (973) 428-6631 or tschneider@gannett.com.