Bear in skunk cabbage.jpg

Black bear sits in a patch of "Skunk cabbage," a leafy plant that grows along the edges of water ways and is among their favorite food. (New Jersey DEP)

BRIDGEWATER -- As the temperatures rise, black bears are venturing out of their natural wooded habitat in search of food and romance.

Monday morning, in the latest black bear sighting in Central Jersey, a young black bear was spotted on the grounds of the Rainbow Child Care Center, Lt. Michael Maxwell, spokesman for the township police, said.

The bear was seen by a teacher at the center and immediately reported. Police arrived upon the scene shortly thereafter and the bear soon moved on from the area.

"A juvenile black bear was spotted grazing in our vegetable garden by one of our teachers and we quickly called police," said Gena Sayej, operations director for Rainbow. "We gathered the kids, who were inside at the time, and kept them inside for the rest of the day.

"We talked to animal control and received some helpful tips about being a good neighbor and being bear aware, what to do and what not to do when you encounter a bear."

During this time of year, black bears are coming out of their "torpor," a state of semi-hibernation, and searching for food and mates, said Lawrence Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Division of Environmental Protection Agency's Division of Fish and Wildlife.

"The younger bears are striking out and looking to carve out their territory to find a mate," said Hajna. "Or you may see mother bears out with their cubs. You may see a bear passing through a residential area but they tend to follow stream carriers along wooded and swampy areas.

"They're looking for "Skunk cabbage," a leafy plant the grows along the edges of water ways," said Hajna.

Pedals, the injured walking black bear who gained a lot of notoriety last year, hasn't been sighted, said Hajna. He was lasted spotted in December, he said.

"As far as I know, there have been no sightings of Pedals," said Hajna. "I'm assuming he's out in the wood somewhere not being seen. If that's the case, it's a good thing. We don't want him to be a sideshow."

Thus far, there have been several black bear sightings in Central Jersey over the past two weeks:

In South Bound Brook near Prospect and Elizabeth Streets.

In Green Brook near Green Brook Road and Sebrings Mills Road in the woods and in Green Brook Park at the border between Green Brook and Plainfield.

In Watchung in the Johnston Drive area.

In Bound Brook in the area of Bound Brook Cemetery near the Bridgewater border.

If a black bear is spotted, Hajna said residents should leave him alone and let him move on and find his way out of the neighborhood. The black bear is likely just passing through the neighborhood searching for food, he said.

If a black bear is spotted rummaging through trash cans searching for good or posing a safety threat, residents should contact authorities, he said.

If you somehow find yourself face-to-face with a black bear who is not acting aggressive, you should remain calm, try to make yourself look as big as possible, avoid direct eye contact, wave your arms, make loud noises and back up slowly," said Hajna.

"Whatever you do, never run," said Hajna. "That's the last thing you want to do. The bear will consider you prey."

Residents should never feed a black bear, leave their pets' uneaten food in the open or fail to secure the lid of their trash cans, Hajna said. Nor should residents approach a black bear to take pictures or videos. He said you should stay at a safe distance and use your "zoom lens."

Black bears attacks seldom occur. In fact, from Jan. 1 to May 20, 2016, black bear sightings are down more than 21 percent over the same period last year, 176 to 138, according to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. The number of counties reporting black bear sightings is also down from 15 to 12.

Category One incidents involving black bears, the most serious, are down from 23 in 2015 to nine so far in 2016. The only spike in a major category came in black bears hit by a motor vehicle, increasing from 15 to 28.

"From my seat, things seem pretty quiet so far," said Hajna. "Maybe it's due to public education."

Hajna said anyone wishing to report bear sightings, damage or nuisance behavior should call the Division of Fish and Wildlife at 877-927-6337 or their local police department.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.