Elizabeth police lure sleepy bear from tree with donuts and caramel

🐻 Black bear climbed 40 feet into a tree behind an Elizabeth home and settled in for an afternoon nap.
🍩 Police and NJ Fish and Wildlife used sweet treats to lure the hungry bear down
🚓 Elizabeth police drones tracked the bear from above as crews worked for hours to relocate the animal

ELIZABETH — It’s never a dull day in Elizabeth.

That’s what the police said on their Facebook page, and Monday really proved it.

It turns out a black bear decided to take up temporary residence way up in a tree in a homeowner’s backyard on Monday.

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Black bear spotted high in tree behind Elizabeth home

The bruin climbed about 40 feet up into a tree on the 600 block of Court Street, and “decided it was the perfect spot for an afternoon siesta,” police said.

Since the bear was too high up in the tree to be safely tranquilized, police, with the help of New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, had to get a little creative to get the animal down.

Donuts and peanut butter help lure bear to safety

So, they set up a trap filled with day-old donuts, peanut butter, apples, and caramel.

It took a few hours, but the bear fell for the trap, hook, line, and sinker. It could not resist the sweet smell of baked goods and caramel, and took the bait, so to speak.

The bear came down from the tree, was safely captured by responding agencies, and relocated without any injuries to residents or animals, police said.

Elizabeth police drones played key role in bear rescue

The Elizabeth Police Department made it clear that throughout the entire incident, their UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) team played a major role in helping officers and responding agencies safely monitor the bear from above.

The live aerial view allowed crews to track

he bear’s movements and even determine whether it was still asleep or awake while in the tree. Their assistance was instrumental in coordinating a safe and effective response from start to finish, they said.

Police joke after bizarre New Jersey bear encounter

Of course, the police officers injected a little dose of humor and a light-hearted jab at themselves and other cops by saying, “somewhere, every cop-and-donut joke just became justified.”

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