Black Bear Spotted in Princeton

A three-foot tall black bear had Princeton officials scouring the area Wednesday, but the bear remained on the loose late Wednesday night. 

The bear was first spotted by a Plainsboro resident around 12:30 p.m. between Thanet Road and Governor's Lane, near the Princeton Shopping Center, according to Princeton Township Police Sgt. Mike Cifelli.

Police and Princeton Animal Control Officer Mark Johnson spent hours trying to contain the bear in the woods between Terhune Road and the Princeton Shopping Center. 

Notifications were made to the nearby Princeton Charter School and Princeton Regional Schools. By evening, the bear had migrated into Princeton Borough and was spotted about 50 feet up in a tree in Princeton Cemetery at the corner of Witherspoon and Wiggins streets. 

A large crowd gathered along Witherspoon Street, and there were shrieks as excited onlookers watched the bear climb down from a tree and make its way back in the direction of the Township. 

"Obviously, if you see the bear, don't approach it and don't attempt to make contact with it," Cifelli said. "And call us right away."

Typically bears do not approach people, police said. 

Black bears come out of hibernation in late spring and are often spotted in the area, according to police. Last year, there were multiple sightings of a bear along Cherry Hill Road for several days before the animal apparently left the area.