Memorial Planned For Bear Killed In Union Beach

UNION BEACH, NJ — Local animal advocates say they will hold a rally in memory of the bear killed in Union Beach last week. The rally is this Thursday night in Hazlet and activists appear to be targeting most of their ire at the state, not Union Beach police, who shot and killed the bear in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 28.

As Patch reported, the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife refused to come to Union Beach when the bear was first spotted and police called for help on Saturday night. The state said the bear was not a serious threat. Union Beach police ended up firing seven shots into the bear as it ran through backyards. That is a photo of the dead bear above, provided by Union Beach Councilman Charlie Cocuzza.

"This should never have happened," read a press released issued by the Animal Protection League of New Jersey. "The New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife (NJDFW) should have been on site to tranquilize and relocate the bear to the north Jersey forests."

“NJDFW failed the bear, failed the residents of Union Beach and failed the Union Beach police department. What is the next town where this scene will again play out?” asked Janine Motta, Programs Director for Animal Protection League of New Jersey. Motta is the same woman who helped save a 500-pound hog from slaughter at Longstreet Farm in Holmdel last month. She is calling for Longstreet Farm to stop butchering animals, and to instead become a sanctuary for rescued barnyard animals.

Rally:

DATE: Thursday, June 8, 2017
TIME: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Intersection at Poole Avenue & Route 36 North, Hazlet, NJ
(for GPS purposes, a close store is 1181 Route 36 North, Hazlet, NJ 07730)

Public education and police training on black bear behavior and the use of non-lethal force is needed, the group said.

However, the state maintains that the Division of Fish & Wildlife has had public bear education for years and that it also offers bear training for police departments.

"It is offered to local police departments in every county statewide," said Bob Considine, the press director for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The Animal Protection League of New Jersey said they have been in conversation with Union Beach’s Acting Chief of Police, Michael Woodrow.

Related Patch reporting:

Union Beach Defends Police Officers Who Killed Bear

Pig Marked For Slaughter At Longstreet Farm Granted 11th-Hour Reprieve