'Bosco' the Bear Captured, Will Be Released Back Into Wild

They finally caught Bosco.

The black bear Ridgewood and Ho-Ho-Kus police were tracking for the last few days was captured Thursday after Ridgewood officers chased the 16-month-old male into a tree near the corner of Linwood Avenue and Hampton Place.

Ridgewood Police received a call about the bear at 11 a.m., and used noisemakers, whistles and "bangs," loud projectiles, to scare the bear into a tree. A team of police officers, firefighters (as well as the chiefs of the two forces), Tyco Animal Control workers and Mayor Keith Killion held nets while waiting for the effects of a tranquilizer dart to take hold.

After the dart was fired, it seemed to have no effect. The bear, nicknamed "Bosco" by Ridgewood Police, only climbed higher up the tree, to about 40 feet.

But after a few anxious moments, the bear slipped, drawing a gasp from a gathering of about 20 people watching the proceedings. It fell about 20 feet, got caught on a branch and fell the rest of the way down into the net. 

Police Chief John Ward said the bear appeared unharmed. "He'll wake up with a little bit of a headache," Ward said.

Officials from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife was on hand to tag and tattoo the animal, which will be released back into the wild somewhere in western New Jersey.

Officials locked down Ridgewood schools until about 2:30 p.m., when the bear was safely in custody.