Wild life officials in Camden County continue to search for a bear that put a school on lockdown and had local residents locking their doors.
The large black bear was spotted on Anthony Road in Waterford Township this morning. Police have been searching for the animal throughout the day. Local resident Dave Chiddenton says he spotted it nearby his house.
“It was sitting just off of the wood’s line eating a bag of trash because trash day is tomorrow,” said Chiddenton. “He was just having a good old time, picked up his head and just would look at the people and then go back to eating his trash.”
Credit: Waterford Township Police
“We just kind of followed it and maintained a visual on the bear and notified the state,” said Lieutenant Dan Cormaney of the Waterford Township Police Department.
The bear sighting has kept local residents, such as David Thaller, on high alert.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
“We have two little kids so hopefully our kids are safe and we’ll keep our eyes open for him,” said Thaller.
Thomas Richards Elementary School was placed on lockdown around noon. The lockdown was lifted once the school ended at its normal time of 3:15 p.m. Parents were notified so they could be at the bus stops once the kids were dropped off.
New Jersey wildlife officials say the bear eventually wandered back into the state forest where they believe it has lived for years.
Officials say the easiest way to avoid a bear encounter is to not feed it, which is illegal in New Jersey. Officials also warn residents not to leave their trash out.
