Community Corner

Safety Tips This Bear Season

Some safety tips from law enforcement and the state DEP.

Spring is here, the gardens are reaping fruits and vegetables and birds are out gathering seeds from the feeder you put in the backyard. But beware, for that feeder may bring you an unwanted visitor.

Bears have already been sighted recently in , Summit and , and were reported in Chatham Township in the summer of 2010. So in case you see one in Chatham, the Chatham Borough Police Department and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection offers some tips on how to handle a bear encounter.

The spring months are when black bears are at their most active, according to the state DEP. They lose about half of their body weight during hibernation, and when they wake up they begin the process of  packing the weight back on.

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The first rule of bear safety is do not feed a bear. Intentionally feeding a bear can be costly – fines of up to $1,000 can be metered out for the offense. More likely, though, bears will root through your garbage, pet food or bird feeders to find food. Once they know that they can find food in your neighborhood, they will likely come back for more.

David Chanda, the director of the State Division of Fish & Wildlife, said, “Properly securing trash and eliminating anything else a bear will eat is one of the best ways to prevent bears from being attracted to a home or property.’’

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Most conflicts with bears can be avoided if people follow a few key safety tips:

  • Look for a certified bear-resistant garbage container. While no garbage cans made of plastic are bear-proof, there are several businesses in the country who manufacture bear-resistant trash cans.
  • If you cannot find a bear-resistant trash can, store your trash inside your garage, basement or other secure area between trash days.
  • Wash your trash cans with disinfectant to eliminate the smell of food.
  • Take your trash to the curb the morning of collection day and not the night before.
  • Bring any bird feeders inside the house at night.
  • Hang a bird feeder at least 10 feet in the air from a free-hanging wire.
  • Clean any fruit, nuts or bird seed that spills in your yard each day.
  • If you feed your pets out of doors, dispose of any remaining pet food right away and bring the bowls inside between feeding times.
  • Clean outdoor grills thoroughly, and store them safely.
  • Consider an electric fence as a security measure to help protect property, yards, animals, crops and beehives.

Bear Encounters

Bears tend to avoid humans. A black bear passing through a residential area does not need to be considered a threat, as long ias it is behaving normally.

However, the state DEP said that some bears have been exposed to humans for so long that they have lost their fear of them. Instead, they associate humans with food, and can become aggressive with them in their search for food.

The state DEB says that when it comes to bear encounters, prevention is the best advice. If you are living in an area where bears are common, remember to take someone with you when you travel, especially on foot, and to keep small children near you at all times.

One way to get bears to avoid you as you walk outdoors this bear season is to make them aware of your presence. This can be as simple as talking while you walk around.

Experts recommend that you carry pepper spray while outdoors in heavy bear areas. According to a statement from the Chatham Borough Police, a pepper spray with pepper content between 1.3 percent and 2 percent can be an effective deterrent to an aggressive bear if it is sprayed directly into the bear’s face within 6 to 10 feet.

Here are tips should you come in close contact with a bear:

  • Stop, remain calm, and assess the situation. If the bear seems unaware of you, move away quietly when it’s not looking in your direction. Continue to observe the animal as you retreat, watching for changes in its behavior.
  • If a bear walks toward you, identify yourself as a human by standing up, waving your hands above your head and talking to the bear in a low voice. (Don’t use the word bear because a human-food-conditioned bear might associate “bear” with food. People feeding bears often say, “Here, bear.”)
  • Don’t throw anything at the bear and avoid direct eye contact, which the bear could interpret as a threat or a challenge.
  • If you cannot safely move away from the bear or the bear continues toward you, scare it away by clapping your hands, stomping your feet, yelling and staring the animal in the eyes. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to shoulder and raise and wave your arms to appear intimidating. The more it persists, the more aggressive your response should be. If you have pepper spray, use it.
  • Don’t run from the bear unless safety is very near and you are absolutely certain you can reach it (knowing that bears can run 35 mph). Also, don't climb a tree as an escape method because black bears are adept climbers and may follow you.

Bear Attacks

  • In the unlikely event a black bear attacks you (where actual contact is made), fight back aggressively using your hands, feet, legs and any object you can reach. Aim for the eyes or spray pepper spray into the bear’s face. Do not play dead.

Residents can report bear damage or behavior 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 (877) WARN-DEP.

To learn more about New Jersey’s black bears and ways to avoid problems with them, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/bearinfo.htm


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