Police capture black bear that prompted school lockdown
The bear was spotted wandering around Lyndhurst backyards.
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A black bear that prompted a shelter-in-place at some Lyndhurst schools was captured by police and wildlife officials Tuesday.
Officers were dispatched to Webster Avenue at about 12:50 p.m. following reports of a black bear seen roaming between yards on Webster and Jay avenues.
"Officers isolated and contained the bear while placing local day care facilities and schools in a shelter in place and advising residents to bring their animals inside out of an abundance of caution," Deputy Chief Paul Haggerty said in a statement.
Officers were eventually able to corral the bear into the backyard of a home, where it climbed a tree. A crew from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Wildlife also responded to help capture the one-year-old bear. The bear was sedated and a safety net was used to safely secure the bear.
Wildlife specialists evaluated and tagged the animal at the scene. They planned to bring the bear to Sussex County and release it safely in a wooded area.
