Alert Issued In Summit, NJ After Black Bear Spotted In Tree

SUMMIT, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Some residents in Summit, New Jersey woke up to a New Year's surprise Friday morning when a bear was spotted hanging out in a tree on a busy street.

An alert went out around 8 a.m. that the bear had been seen off Ashland Road.

Kids and parents, some in pajamas, all had their heads turned towards the sky to get a peek of the bear.

"I looked out my window and I'm like, 'What? There's a bear out there!" one young girl told CBS2's Meg Baker.

"She was like, 'There's a bear in the tree over there' and we were like, 'Oh my God, that's crazy," another girl said.

"No concerns, happy this guy survived the bear hunt," said resident Kate Keenan.

Another boy named Patrick said he spotted the bear move a few times.

"It was sleeping then every once in a while waking up, yawning," he said.

The Watchung Reservation is only a few miles away and some say they have seen bears around this area before.

"I think it's great! I love living so close to nature, that's why we moved out of the city and black bears aren't going to hurt anyone as long as you leave them alone," said resident Edith Wilson.

Earlier, the crowd was standing just across the street from the bear. Police have since pushed everyone back, securing the area because although it looks cute from afar, black bears can be dangerous if aggravated.

In their alert, police said wildlife officials had been notified and warned residents not to approach the bear. Police said the bear will not be tranquilized by NJ Fish And Wildlife while it is up in the tree. For now it will be left alone with the hopes that it will leave everyone else alone when it finally does decide to make its way down.