Wildlife officials were able to subdue and tranquilize a 345-pound bear that was spotted Thursday near Paramus Catholic High School.
The animal gave students and officials a scare before it finally took off. A woman who lives near the school first spotted the bear around 8 a.m. in her backyard. School administrators canceled outdoor activities as a precaution, but denied that they were in a "lockdown."
Paramus police brought in canine units and animal control workers to track the wayward bear, and the animal was finally captured in Dunker Hook Park after hours of searching. Authorities say the incident was a bit out of the ordinary for the New Jersey community.
"We get a lot of deer calls and turkey calls, but not bear calls," said Paramus Police Capt. Chris Brock.
The bear will be released into the nearest state-owned rural area and tagged to ensure it makes it safely back into the wilderness. Fish and Wildlife officials say the bear likely ventured into Paramus from far northern New Jersey or New York, following the streams and looking for a new area to roam in.
For more on the bear capture, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra.