Police kill bear in tree after it got into house

VERNON, N.J. - Police in North Jersey shot and killed a bear in a tree after it broke into a house yesterday, the Department of Environmental Protection reported.

Police were called to the Vernon home after a report that a bear had broken in, said Darlene Yuhas, a DEP spokeswoman. Police chased the bear, and it climbed a nearby tree with its two cubs, she said.

After consulting with police, the DEP approved the bear killing.

The bear remained lodged in the tree after it was shot, and DEP officials helped lower it to the ground, Yuhas said. The cubs were to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center where they will be cared for until able to return to the wild.

State biologists have determined that most bears that break into homes, damage property, or attack pets should be euthanized, Yuhas said.

"Those are the most serious situations. Those are the most serious bear incidents," she said.

Bears are not euthanized in less serious situations, such as when they wander through a town but do not injure anyone.

After years of dwindling numbers, the black bear population has skyrocketed in New Jersey. The bears have been seen in every county, but are concentrated in North Jersey.

Last year, DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson canceled a controversial bear hunt planned for December, saying more needed to be done to educate people in how to prevent contact with bears, such as keeping garbage indoors and getting rid of bird feeders.