Living in the wilds of New Jersey
Michele Papavasiliou, a graphic designer who used to work at the Jewish Standard, sent the picture above to us. Seems that a fawn found its way into her Teaneck home through a basement window that the recent storm had broken and blown inside the house — yes, the window’s fixed now — and it took Bergen County Animal Control to get the it out.
Meanwhile, another fawn somehow wandered into the far corner of the fenced-in Paramus backyard of Beth Janoff Chananie, the Jewish Standard’s community editor, while the family dog, Simba, kept a watchful eye. With the help of neighbors, the fawn was safely returned to its mother and another deer — maybe its aunt? — who also had jumped in the yard. The dog was escorted back inside the house, greatly against his will.
But not all the wildlife news comes from Bergen County. Let’s move on to Essex.
A black bear somehow wandered onto the grounds of the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange. It’s a popular spot year round but it’s particularly busy now that schools have closed for summer vacation. As a precaution, officials had to close the zoo, as employees and visitors sheltered inside its buildings.
Here’s some advice for our readers:
There have been a number of black-bear sightings in Northern New Jersey this season; officials recorded more than 150 sightings locally. Recent hotspots include Sussex, Morris, and Bergen counties.
If you happen to see a bear, stay calm and be loud. Make noise, wave your arms, call for help!
If you encounter a fawn in your yard, leave it alone. Try not to touch it or move it. (Sometimes, as we’ve just told you, the fawn is in danger, and it’s not possible to follow that advice.) Stay calm. Mama deer purposely left her baby while she went searching for food. Remember that most likely the fawn has not been abandoned, and the mother is nearby.
You can always call animal control or a nature center for help.
Bergen County Animal Control is (201) 229-4616. Essex County Animal Services is (973) 824-7080.
Enjoy your summer! Beth Chananie