Hopatcong Police Remind Residents to be Wary of Bears

A mother bear and her two cubs wandering around behind the Dunkin Donuts by Durban Ave around the time area schools let out prompted the Hopatcong Police Department to issue some safety tips for wild animal encounters.

Hopatcong PD posted two photos of the mom and her cubs to its Facebook page Sept. 18, stating that the force does not want the community to get between the animals should they spot them.

The post, written by Lt. Kmetz, said that if someone should encounter a bear to bang two pots together from an open window at a safe distance as the bears do not like the noise and will likely flee.

“DO NOT feed nor try to get close to them . . . They are wild animals that can out run you, out swim you, climb a tree faster than you and weigh up to 700lbs,” the post read.

Hopatcong has had many encounters with bears, and information about the three categories of bears residents are most likely to encounter is available on the Hopatcong PD website under the Bear Awareness tab.