Bears Are Back! Learn to Live With Them

“Black bears are native to New Jersey. They were here long before we were,” said N.J. Fish and Wildlife biologist Michelle Ruggiero-Smith. Ruggiero-Smith was talking to an audience of at least 50 people of all ages during a lecture about black bears in New Jersey held Sunday at the Somerset County

The purpose of the presentation was to inform the public about black bears, and how to live with them as the native wild animals move deeper into suburbia. Black bears — which numbered fewer than 100 in New Jersey through much of the 20th century — have been spotted locally in increasing numbers, Ruggiero-Smith said.

There are about 3,400 bears statewide in New Jersey, according to recent figures from the state Department of Environmental Protection. Ruggiero-Smith said prime "bear country" is through parts of Sussex, Morris, Warren and Passaic counties, and most of the state's bears live in that northwest section of the state.

But Ruggiero-Smith stated the cause of increased interaction with black bears has been a continual destruction their forest habitats. Bears love trees, she told the children and adults in the audience. She said that was part of the reason that more bears seem to be moving down into the forests of northern Somerset County.

There have been uncounted sightings of bears throughout Bernards Township this year, from the northern wooded areas on the edge of Bernardsville, into more densely developed neighborhoods in The Hills in the southern part of the township. Earlier this year, DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese said northern Somerset County although the township's residents might want to consider taking some of the precautions standard for areas already living with bears for years.

For example, trash should not be placed outdoors the nights before garbage collections, and residents might want to consider purchasing bear-resistant trash containers, the DEP recommends for those who have repeated bear sightings in their neighbhorhoods.

Not only have bears been found in suburban neighborhoods, they have made their way into all of New Jersey's 21 counties, Ruggiero-Smith said. Bears even have been found in Newark and Trenton, she said.

Ruggiero-Smith began the lecture speaking about the black bear's natural habitat. “Black bears are excellent tree climbers, and are naturally scared of people," she said.

Ruggiero-Smith said black bears are omnivores and eat a variety of foods, including small mammals, nuts, berries, and a wide variety of other foods.

Their impeccable sense of smell leads these bears to human garbage and bird house feeders, which has led to some problems, Ruggiero-Smith said. She even showed the audience an amusing video of black bear breaking into a locked dumpster and running off with a bag trash.

The next part of her lecture went into the history of black bears in this area. According to Ruggiero-Smith, black bears were found all over the eastern seaboard before settlers arrived. The bears provided the Lenni Lenapi native Americans with hides, furs and food, she said.

Subsequent European settlers were understandably afraid of these animals and hunted them to near extinction, she said. Smith stated that by “the early to mid-1900s, there were less than 100 black bears in New Jersey.” However, hunting restrictions since have been put in place, and the numbers of bears have continued to grow.

The final part of Ruggiero-Smith’s lecture was to answer the everybody’s question about what could be done in the case of a black bear encounter.

Ruggiero-Smith emphasized that it is illegal to feed bears.

Calling an animal control officer may be necessary if a bear is found wandering through more developed areas, she said, showing a photo of a bear hibernating discovered under a resident's house. DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife can be reached at 1-877-WARN DEP.

According to Ruggiero-Smith, a person encountering a black bear should not run or play dead. "Running will cause the bears to chase you," she said. Bears eat carcasses, so playing dead is not ideal, she cautioned.

Instead, Ruggiero-Smith urged the audience to stand tall, scream and make lots of noise. Bears are afraid of humans and will consequently run away, though they have been known to sometimes make fake charges at people before turning away, she said.

At the end of the lecture, listeners were able to examine a small black bear model and black bear hide. The presentation included a fake bear den for children to crawl through.

At this time of year, she said bears should be hibernating, although they may sometimes leave their den. (See information below:)

Additional information on black bears from the DEP:

• Black bears usually are solitary animals that are most active at dawn and dusk.
• Black bears have excellent sesnes of smell and hearing.
• Black bears can run up to 35 miles per hour and are strong swimmers and excellent climbers.
• Black bears eat both plants and animals.
• Adult female black bears average 175 pounds, while the adult males average 400 pounds.
• Black bears will supplement their natural diet with food or garbage left out by people.
• Not all black bears are black. They can be multiple colors, including brown, blonde and even gray-blue. Fifteen percent of New Jersey bears have a white chest blaze.
• During winter, black bears undergo a period of dormancy in dens, called topor, to avoid severe weather and food shortages. But since they are not true hibernators, they may leave their dens if disturbed or to search for food on mild winter days.
• Breeding season runs from late May until August, peaking in June and July. Cubs are born in January and weight about eight to 16 ounces. Cubs remain with their mothers for 16 to 18 months.