Park Worker Removes Black Bear from Tree

After leading township police and the Helmetta Animal Control officer on a chase for much of the morning, a 2-year-old black bear was finally captured at around 2:30 p.m. Monday after it was lowered out of a tree by its feet.

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While the Division of Fish & Wildlife usually tranquilizes a bear then waits for it to fall out the tree onto nets, this time the bear simply fell asleep in the crook of a branch and stayed put.

Enter the township Division of Recreation, Parks and Community Service. Once township officials and the Division of Fish & Wildlife realized that the bear wasn’t coming down, parks workers that specialize in climbing and trimming trees were called.

Russ Buchinsky scaled the tree using ropes, tranquilized the bear once again, and then tied chains to each foot before pushing it out of the tree and lowering it safely to the ground.

“I was more nervous about giving it the shot (of tranquilizer),” said Buchinsky. “I’ve never giving anything a shot before.”

“I told him that he can have his chance this year,” Reid joked after Buchbinski helped remove the bear.

Word spread of the bear’s presence spread quickly, and over the course of a few hours crowds of people lined the street hoping for a glimpse. Resident Lorraine DeAngelis, whose backyard the bear stopped in, was amazed at the excitement.

“They did an outstanding job,” she said about the workers who removed the bear. “I was concerned about the safety of people and of the bear.”

Chuck Sliker of the Division of Fish & Wildlife said the bear was most likely about 2 years old and was recently captured either in Vernon or West Milford. The bear will be relocated to Round Valley today (Monday).