New Jersey state troopers rescue bear cub from highway ditch
Apr 3, 2026, 11:07 AM
This photo provided by the New Jersey State Police shows a police officer holding a bear cub that was rescued from a ditch alongside a busy interstate highway in northern New Jersey on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (New Jersey State Police via AP)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(New Jersey State Police via AP)
UNION TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — State police troopers came to the rescue of a bear cub found in a ditch along the side of a major interstate highway in northern New Jersey.
Troopers from the Perryville station responded shortly before 1:40 p.m. Wednesday to milepost 12.2 on I-78 eastbound in Union Township. The animal was by itself, officials said.
The bear was soon safely secured and taken back to the state police barracks, where it was later turned over to staffers with the state’s Environmental Protection Department, who were caring for the animal.
It’s not clear how the cub ended up in the ditch or how long it had been there before it was spotted. Details on the bear’s condition were not available Friday.
