Baristanet says that the bears that were seen by two Veronans in Cedar Grove on Wednesday were hanging around Turnberry Road in Little Falls late Thursday.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is reminding people that black bear attacks on humans are rare. If you do see the bears again–in Verona or elsewhere in north Jersey–stay calm and do not approach them. That means no running up to take their picture with your iPhone 5 no matter how much you want to send it to MyVeronaNJ.com. There are more tips on being safe around bears here.
Bears need food to survive . Their normal summer diet of greens and berries has been shriveled by the heat and drought. They need acorns and beechnuts in the fall to bulk up for winter, but the weather has damaged fruit tree buds and the acorn and other wild nut supply.
Bears are intelligent and resourceful, so they are rummaging through garbage in search of sustenance. They are not being evil. They are trying to survive.
New Jersey has asked homeowners and businesses to stop attracting bears out of the woods and into their communities with improperly contained garbage and pet food. But few people listen, even though securing garbage will stop visiting bears!
Understand that bear embryos will not become implanted if the mother bear has not consumed enough food to survive the winter with the proper weight. This is nature’s way of regulating the population.
New Jersey has Black Bears, not Grizzly Bears, and 40 years of research by Dr. Lynn Rogers of the North American Bear Center has proven that Black Bears can be added to the list of animals that are known to be gentle and timid. He will also tell you that mother Black Bears do not defend their cubs against people.
Black Bears don’t swat people. And, they do not attack pets unless the pet attacks them first, and the bear is defending itself.