'Pedals,' the injured walking bear, alive and well, official says

Bear is said to be in good health and weighing approximately 350 pounds. Watch video

WEST MILFORD -- "Pedals,"  the injured walking bear, was recently spotted in the township and appeared to be in good health, having survived the recent bear hunting season, the state Division of Fish and Wildlife confirmed Monday afternoon.

The bipedal bear was seen on Dec. 21 and the sighting was immediately called into the agency's hotline, said Lawrence Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Agency's Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Hajna said the caller reported the bear "looked healthy" and estimated that he weighed approximately 350 pounds. He said he didn't know if the bear was spotted in a residential area or in the woods.

It was the first reported sighting of the wounded bear since the third week in November, Hajna said. Pedals is walking on his two hind legs because of injuries to his two front paws.

"As we've been saying all along, the bear seems to be doing fine on it's own," said Hajna. "This is really good news for the bear and all the people following his travels. I know a lot of people are worried about the bear and his ability to survive the winter.

"This sighting is really encouraging. By virtue of the fact that the bear hasn't been seen for some time indicates to us that he has been out in the woods foraging. There are plenty of tree nuts available. We now have a bases to determine the bear is OK. He may be heading into his denning period now."

Supporters of the injured bear were concerned about him surviving the hunting season - Hajna said the agency had not received any "Pedals" sightings from hunters - and are now uneasy about his ability to make it through the winter.

Hajna said wildlife officials didn't have enough time to mobilize and capture the bear. He said the agency didn't launch a search for the bear after the sighting because their biologist maintain its best to let the bear survive on its own.

"We didn't get a chance to take a look at him," said Hajna. "We're not going to try to capture him. If we get more sightings and are able to develop a pattern of his whereabouts, we'll go out. But with the cooler temperatures coming the bear will likely go into a den and spend the winter there."

Sabrina Walsh-Pugsley started a GoFundMe page to have the bear relocated to a facility in Otisville, N.Y., but Hajna said the agency won't allow the bear to be transported out of state.

Wildlife officials are still asking anyone who spots the bear to immediately call their hotline at 877-927-6337.

"The bear has found what he needed. He's very adaptable," said Hajna. "We've been saying all along that this is a remarkable bear."