Bear Trapped and Sedated at High School
Mom and her cubs watched sporting events at school.
Photos
It seems that bears like to watch high school sporting events—and eat at dumpsters, at least the ones at Jefferson Township High School. Because of these visits, the school district will assess the condition of bear-proof dumpsters at the high school that may be in need of repair or modification.
A mother bear—called a sow—and two cubs had been seen around the high school for about a week, according to schools superintendent Joseph Kraemer.
“They even bent the bear lid on the dumpster at the middle school to access the garbage. At one point, John (DiColo, the school’s athletic director) had to stop a field hockey game to chase the bears away,” Kraemer said. “They didn’t seem in any particular hurry to leave.”
Kraemer said that the district decided to call the Division of Fish and Wildlife, part of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for help with removing the bears from the school area.
“They suggested that they would come and trap and relocate the bears,” Kraemer said.
Lawrence Hajna, spokesman for the DEP, confirmed that the school requested a bear trap several days ago, which was set up at a construction dumpster near the maintenance area, according to Kraemer.
“We received a call at about 6 p.m. on Monday that a bear was in the trap,” Hajna said. “We sent a bear biologist to respond. The sow was sedated and removed from the trap.”
Kraemer said that when the biologist arrived, a field hockey game was in progress, making for a crowd at the school.
“Parents and students were very concerned about the bear’s plight,” he said. “I believe it was assumed that the bear was going to be put down. This was far from the truth. The bears were to be relocated for their protection.”
Both Kraemer and Hajna said that the hope was that the stress of being trapped and sedated would be enough to discourage the bears from returning.
A district staff member supervised the bear and her cubs while she slept, Kraemer said. When the bear awoke, she and her cubs safely walked into the woods.
While the district had purchased custom bear lids for trash dumpsters six years ago, Kraemer said, the district will make other changes based on recommendations from the DEP biologist.
The construction dumpster where the bear was trapped will be relocated and secured so that humans cannot put food into it, he said. In addition, the district may relocate a bear-proof dumpster from the board office to the high school to increase capacity at the high school.
“We will also be reviewing trash disposal procedures with pertinent staff,” Kraemer said.
Hajna suggested that residents in the area to secure trash.
“Bears will keep coming back if there is something that attracts them to the area, like a food source,” he said.
Nancy Silvers
12:20 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012
It is critical that we all play an active part in keeping these creatures in the wild where they belong. There has always been the presence of bears in the area of the High School and Middle School for years due to the food source. Can you blame the bears due to such temptation? The mother bear is now tagged, which labels her as a first time offender. Fish and Game will not relocate the family. They will destroy her if she is caught 3 times. As long as that trap is baited, she will be lured to her death. The baby cubs will die without their Mom through the winter. Trapping is not the solution to this problem! If we residents feed the wildlife we are fined. How come the schools can feed them on a daily basis and they are allowed to be so irresponsible for so many years? Why are these animals made to suffer because of the public's stupidity? I’m glad the Board of Education finally realizes that if you cut off the food source the problem is solved. Wow, I’m glad they called in a biologist to figure that one out. What a concept! It amazes me that nobody ever addressed this issue with all these great minds in education. It is time that we band together and protest the trapping of bears on school property, especially until the new bear proof dumpster are implemented. Do not allow them to break up a family of bears or any others in the future.
Elisa DeYoung
7:10 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Someone needs to enforce the proper disposal of food at the schools. I attended a board of ed meeting when an employee stated the "grease" was just dumped in the dumpsters. So this is NOT the first time it's brought to the attention of the BOE! I am told by Fish and Game it is up to the local PD to enforce the issue. Is it the Food Vendor at the school, or BOE that is responsible? If it's just the slap on the hand it will not be taken care of. Let's see some fines in place! Someone needs to take action. Doesn't safety for the kids come first??
Fish and Game has NOT had any attacks on humans reported.
mayfairwitch1
8:08 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Grease should be contained in it's own seperate disposal unit not thrown in with the rest of the garbage.
The bears are not going away, this has been their habitat for years and years. Due to overdevelopment they are being forced from where they once resided, as a long time resident, bear sightings 25 years ago were a rarity.
So I am in agreement with the other two posters..PROPER disposal of food...
I no longer have my trash outside, it's kept in the garage and is put out the morning of pick up before I go to work not the night before..is it a pain in the azz....yes but I don't come out to my garbage strewn all over with a bear having a picnic in my yard.
Fed Up
4:36 pm on Wednesday, October 3, 2012
If they re-released the mother bear the other day to be reunited with her cubs, how come on 10-3-12 at 4:15 pm the cubs are running around the school property by themselves? Coincidence? I doubt it. No mother in sight. Did anyone physically see them release her? Of course not because Fish & Game took her away and now those cubs are left to starve. Oh sure they didn't lie to us. After all they did say they released her - they just left that part out about where. You all should be ashamed of yourselves - you make me sick! Just shoot the cubs now and put them out of their misery.
john
5:13 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012
ooooooooo I`ll take some of that grease so i can us it as bait for this years bear season ready aim fire 1 less bear harrassing the children
Donna Sue
8:24 am on Friday, October 5, 2012
i wish they would build another school somewhere else period. what a location for a school. its a treacherous drive there as well. and the library next to a shooting range. this place just blows me away. if they were a restaurant they would shut them down and fine them disposing of grease like that. bears should not be anywhere near the school. schools should not be built next to wildlife reservoirs. whats up with that.
kath
10:19 am on Sunday, October 7, 2012
So NJ F and W allows open food dumpsters on school property, allows food bait of any size or type to be dumped by hunters on private and state land, but we put our garbage out not properly secured and get fined?! How about no food dumping for any purpose by anyone?