Bear Killed In Essex County After It ‘Traps’ Woman, Child: Police

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County police killed a bear that advanced on them after they came to the rescue of a woman and child near South Mountain Reservation on Monday, authorities said.

According to the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the woman contacted county police at 11:22 a.m. when she and her daughter were "trapped" by the bear near Locust Grove.

Here’s what happened next, authorities said:

“Essex County sheriff’s officers were dispatched to the area and upon arrival on scene, located the woman, her child and other patrons and attempted to lead the concerned parties out of the reservation. While attempting to safely escort the patrons out of the reservation the group was re-encountered by the bear on the path leaving the reservation. The officers safely escorted the patrons out of the reservation and then attempted to get the bear to return to the wooded area, at which time the bear advanced upon the officers and unfortunately gave them no choice, for their safety and the safety of anyone else in the immediate area, to dispatch the bear.”

Patch reached out to the sheriff’s office seeking clarification on the “dispatching” of the bear, including the method of death. We will update this article with any reply we receive.

The Township of Millburn also shared a message about the bear on Monday, noting that a helicopter was in the area:

“It has been reported that there is currently helicopter activity in the area of South Mountain Reservation. This is due to the Essex County Sheriff's Office responding to a bear sighting wherein the animal in question became aggressive and had to unfortunately be put down for safety reasons.”

South Mountain Reservation is a 2,112-acre nature reserve that is part of the Essex County Park System. It is located in central in portions of Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange, and borders South Orange, between the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains.

In recent weeks, people throughout Essex County have been spotting black bears wandering around wooded areas on the fringes of residential neighborhoods. It’s not clear if the same bear – or bears – are involved in multiple sightings.

In Montclair, sightings have occurred in the Upper Montclair area and most recently on Oakwood Avenue. Other recent local bear sightings in Montclair include an animal that was seen tromping around the Alonzo F. Bonsal Wildlife Preserve last week. Read More: Bear Spotted At Nature Preserve In Montclair

A bear was also recently seen in Bloomfield (authorities didn’t mention the location). Read More: Holiday Bear Sighting In Bloomfield On Memorial Weekend

The previous week, the Verona Police Department said a confirmed bear sighting took place in Montclair. A local resident reported that the animal was seen in a local yard near Mills Reservation. Read More: Bear Spotted In Montclair; Police In Verona Issue Alert

Last month, a bear was spotted wandering in the area of Thornden Street and Walton Avenue in South Orange, and on Lawrence Street in West Orange. Read More: Bear Sighting In The Oranges; Schools Cancel Outdoor Activities

In recent years, bear sightings have also been reported in Livingston, Irvington, Maplewood, Roseland and Millburn, among other places in Essex County.

Some local residents say that bears are widely misunderstood, and may seem “aggressive” when they are only trying to intimidate people into leaving them alone.

“It was sad and unfortunate that the wandering bear in South Mountain Reservation was killed,” said Janet Piszar, founder of Public Trust Wildlife Management.

Piszar questioned whether the people walking in the reservation and emergency responders had knowledge of basic bear behavior, including when bears are being “aggressive” – or simply trying to intimidate a potential intruder into leaving.

“Obviously, a black bear can be aberrant and do harm, but the likelihood is quite remote,” Piszar said. “As spring bear visitors to Essex County are no longer extraordinary, let us become educated to normal bear behaviors so that innocent bears need not be killed.”

BEAR BEHAVIOR

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, mating season for black bears in the state runs between late May and August and peaks in June and July.

Black bears are not true hibernators and may be active all year long. However, during the winter, black bears enter a state of winter dormancy called torpor, experts say.

The NJDEP says that black bears are generally solitary animals, with the exception of sows with cubs. They tend to be crepuscular, meaning they are most active shortly before sunrise and again after sunset. However, they can be active during the day and may be active throughout the night. They will adjust their routines when it affords them the opportunity to take advantage of human-derived food sources – such as human garbage left out overnight, or food scraps at a campground.

The NJDEP continues:

“Black bears actively forage for food in the spring after they emerge from dens and in the fall when they are actively feeding to prepare for the winter den period. Black bears are also very active throughout the summer breeding season. These are the times of year when black bear/human encounters are most common, due to bears searching for food.”

“Black bears are typically not aggressive animals and tend to be wary of people,” the NJDEP says. “They do, however, engage in posturing to intimidate other animals and people when establishing dominance or when they feel threatened. And while extremely rare, predatory attacks do occur.”

LIVING ALONGSIDE BEARS: WHAT TO KNOW

According to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, black bears are the largest land mammal in New Jersey. They are an integral part of the state's natural heritage and a vital component of healthy ecosystems.

Since the 1980s the Garden State's black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range both southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. Within the most densely populated state in the nation, black bears are thriving and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey's counties, the NJDFW states on its website.

"The most common bear problem New Jersey's residents experience is black bears getting into their garbage," state officials say. "Bears are attracted to neighborhoods by garbage odors, so properly securing your garbage is one of the best ways to prevent bears from becoming a nuisance in your community."

NJDEP wildlife experts emphasize that a black bear passing through an area and not causing a specific problem, such as breaking into trash or otherwise trying to access food sources on people's properties or posing a safety threat, should be left alone.

"People should leave the area and allow the bear to continue on its way," officials said. "When frightened, bears may seek refuge by climbing trees. If the bear does go up a tree, clear the area and give the bear time to climb down and escape."

Residents can report bear damage, nuisance behavior or aggressive bears to the Wildlife Control Unit of the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife at (908) 735-8793. During evenings and weekends, residents should call their local police department or the DEP Hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP (1-877-927-6337).

According to the NJDEP, black bears have been sighted in all of New Jersey's 21 counties, but the population is densest in the northwestern counties of Sussex, Warren, Passaic and Morris.

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