EAST BRUNSWICK — It's a bear developing a monthly habit. Two months ago it was in Hightstown, Mercer County, and last month near Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township.



Today, the same bear was tranquilized and captured on Tompkins Road in East Brunswick, the sixth time in less than 18 months wildlife officials have been called out for the animal.



"Part of the situation with him is there's no females around here. If there was a female down here, maybe he would settle down," said Kim Tinnes of the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.



Tinnes, a state wildlife service technician who participated in five of the six captures, can rattle off the bear's history and tag number, 6131.



East Brunswick police received calls about the bear from Monday through today. On Tuesday, officers forced the approximately 3-year-old bruin up a tree, but it was above a fence, a location where Tinnes and others decided it was unsafe to bring down. After a few hours, the bear climbed down and wandered off again, never acting threatening or aggressive to people or pets, police said.

Today, however, when people called in sightings again about 9:15 a.m. police chased it up a tree about 15 feet above the side yard of a house, a spot suited for capture, officials told police.



By 11:45 a.m., six people had a net stretched under the animal, and a wildlife official shot a tranquilizing dart, causing the bear to jump and scamper a few feet out on a limb.



Within five minutes, it slumped on the branch, and slid off and into the net below.



Authorities said that just as in each of the five prior incidents, the bear would again be released in an appropriate state preserve.

The animal was first captured early last year in Parsippany, then again in Somerville and South Brunswick.

It was last caught June 15 in Monroe Township, when its recorded weight was 271 pounds. With its recent wandering, the bear slimmed down, weighing 263 pounds today.

State officials had placed a collar with a global positioning device on the animal, but it discarded that adornment about a week ago, officials said. Another collar was put on today.

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