Pets To Blame For ‘Aggressive’ Bears At Morris County Park: Officials

MORRIS COUNTY - Morris County residents will have to wait a while longer to visit the Tourne County Park and Trails after reports of several black bears displaying “aggressive behavior” closed the area earlier this week.

In a Friday afternoon statement, Morris County Park Commission officials said that the park is still closed until further notice, adding that “incidents like this” can be avoided by keeping pets on a short leash.

“Incidents like this can be avoided by not violating Morris County Park Commission Rules & Regulations, Article III, Prohibited Acts-Section 3. Pets must be kept on leashes not exceeding 6 feet in length,” the commission wrote.

No injuries, to either people or pets, have been reported.

The park closed Wednesday after the Denville Police Department issued an alert informing the public of several reports of a black bear acting aggressively toward park visitors, particularly dog owners who let their pets run free, Patch previously reported.

According to David D. Helmer, Executive Director at the Morris County Park Commission, the park will remain closed for up to seven days unless the bear is trapped sooner.

While the Morris County Sheriff's Patrol Unit has stated that they will be monitoring the park during its closure, Helmer said that the disposition of the bear will be determined by NJ Fish and Wildlife.

"There were three separate incidents, and NJ Fish & Wildlife has determined that there were at least two different bears. We are aware that at least two of the incidents were impacted by a dog owner having their dog off-leash, violating Morris County Park Commission Rules and Regulations," Helmer told Patch.

Tourne County Park is a 561-acre general-purpose park with 10.7 miles of trails. It has picnic areas as well as an athletic field. The park system offers a view of the Manhattan skyline from its highest point, 897 feet.
This is not the park's first run-in with off-leash dogs; according to Helmer, the Park Commission was forced to close the park in 2021 due to a bear and off-leash dog incident.
Residents in the park's vicinity should exercise caution when encountering or observing any black bear, and should immediately report any aggressive or unusual encounters to the police department at 973-627-4900, ext. 9.