{
  "id": "2026-05-20-princeton-university-black-bear-cannon-green",
  "slug": "princeton-university-black-bear-cannon-green-2026-05-20",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Princeton University",
    "shortName": "Princeton",
    "state": "NJ",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "TigerAlert",
    "enrollment": 8500
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2026-05-20",
    "type": "wildlife",
    "cleryCategory": "advisory",
    "resolution": "contained",
    "headline": "Advisory after a black bear sighting on campus",
    "headlinePublic": "Advisory after a black bear sighting on campus",
    "summary": "Princeton [Public Safety](https://princeton.apparmor.com/PushNotifications/Alert/?id=316008) issued a TigerAlert after reports of a black bear walking near Cannon Green in the predawn hours of May 20, 2026, with NJDEP wildlife guidance and campus reporting instructions.",
    "outcome": "Advisory issued with bear-safety guidance; no injuries reported in the alert.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 0
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2026-05-20T09:21:27-04:00",
      "channel": "push-notification",
      "verbatimText": "TIGERALERT: Black Bear Sighting\n\nWednesday, May 20, 2026 9:21:27 AM\n\nTIGERALERT:\n\nIn the predawn hours this morning, Princeton University Public Safety received reports that a black bear was walking in the area of Cannon Green. \n\nBlack bears by nature tend to be wary of people.\n\nThe New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has tips on black bears available at https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/bears/\n\nThese tips include:\n\nNever feed or approach a bear.\nRemain calm if you encounter a bear. Avoid direct eye contact, which may be perceived by a bear as a challenge. Never run from a bear. Instead, slowly back away.\nTo scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, banging pots and pans or using an airhorn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.\nIf the bear does not leave, move to a secure area.\nReport black bear damage or nuisance behavior to the DEP's 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).\n \n\nWhile not common, black bears have previously been reported in the Princeton area, particularly in the late spring timeframe. There have been other recent sightings in surrounding municipalities.\n\nWe remind all community members of the general safety tips listed below listed on our website: https://publicsafety.princeton.edu/safety/safety-security\n\nReport suspicious behavior or activity immediately by calling the Department of Public Safety at 9-1-1 or by using any blue light emergency phone located throughout campus.\nStay alert and tuned in to your surroundings. Be aware and prepared.\nTrust your instincts, and if you do not feel comfortable in a place or situation, leave.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://princeton.apparmor.com/PushNotifications/Alert/?id=316008",
      "sourceDescription": "Princeton official TigerAlert AppArmor archive (alert ID 316008)",
      "annotations": [
        "Full text recovered from official princeton.apparmor.com PushNotifications archive.",
        "Mirrored in condensed form on the official @Princeton X account the same day.",
        "Subject line on the archive page: TIGERALERT: Black Bear Sighting."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1719
    }
  ],
  "context": "Princeton’s TigerAlert channel carried a wildlife advisory after Public Safety received predawn reports of a black bear near Cannon Green. The full push notification is preserved in Princeton’s AppArmor alert archive and was also summarized on the University’s official X account with a link to the same archive record.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Official TigerAlert archive provides complete push-notification wording",
    "Message couples campus reporting instructions with NJDEP black-bear guidance"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "TigerAlert official archive — Black Bear Sighting (ID 316008)",
      "url": "https://princeton.apparmor.com/PushNotifications/Alert/?id=316008",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "@Princeton X — TigerAlert Black Bear Sighting",
      "url": "https://x.com/Princeton/status/2057099186726728190",
      "type": "official-social"
    },
    {
      "title": "NJDEP black bear tips (linked in alert)",
      "url": "https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/bears/",
      "type": "other"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "wildlife",
    "black-bear",
    "tigeralert",
    "princeton",
    "advisory"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-07-21",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-21",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}