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Cubs Rescued After Black Bear Breaks Into West Milford Home

WEST MILFORD, N.J.(CBSNewYork) -- A woman went scrambling for safety after a black bear tore through a northern New Jersey home.

The bear's three young cubs were in the care of state officials on Tuesday night, after a massive effort to corral them. As CBS 2's Jessica Schneider reported, one of the cubs scrambled up the branches of a tree before being brought down by a safety net.

"They just said, 'a bear is stuck in a tree. Can you come and help get it out?'" Kyle Maloney, James Maloney & Son Tree Service, said.

The call came hours after Donna DiMino endured a frightening ordeal. DiMino arrived at home on Sunday and almost came face to face with the cub's mother, a black bear that had broken into her home.

"I saw it running with a bucket of bird seed in its mouth," she said, "There were no claw marks. I didn't see any claw marks. There was just the garbage scattered around the home."

The black bear broke through a door, ripped off the screen, and tore off a metal cover that was attached to the door frame.

West Milford police responded to the home and were forced to euthanize the mother because her tags showed that she had broken into houses in the past.

Three of her cubs were left behind, including the one that climbed a tree.

The cubs are safe and will be cared for by animal officials before being released in a few months.

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