NJ Hikers were warned to leave but instead snapped pictures of bear before fatal attack

[apples and oranges]

Patel and four of his friends had begun walking into the preserve that afternoon when they were met by a man and a woman coming the other way. The pair warned the larger group about a bear following them. The couple walked away, leaving the group of five to talk about what they were going to do. They eventually walked farther into the woods.

The five pictures taken from Patel’s phone show the bear from approximately 100 feet, looking toward the hikers but still behind a fallen log, authorities said.

The hikers turned around when the bear kept approaching, authorities said. But the bear caught up with them, eventually closing to within 15 feet, investigators said. When the bear reached that proximity, the group split up running in different directions, they later told police investigators.

Patel at one point lost his shoe, and was last seen climbing a rock formation as he hollered for his friends to continue, with the bear right behind him. The group of four fled the woods and called 911, according to police records. Emergency responders came upon Patel’s body about four hours later. The bear was in the area, authorities said. Eventually, a police officer shot and killed the bear.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/passaic-county/index.ssf/2014/11/hiker_snapped_pictures_of_bear_before_fatal_attack_in_west_milford.html

[hollysmom]

1. bears wolves, etc not going to leave you alone if you leave them alone

I think there are too many friendly animal movies and people are not smart enough to know better.

[sarisataka]

3. Most of them will

Especially if you don't approach them. Yet it is important to remember no wild animal is "friendly"

It would have been better to stand as a group; 5 people are larger than a bear. Size and noise shows dominance. Fleeing in all directions is what prey does.

[Quixote1818]

9. I have run into bears numerous times and I was even charged by one in Colorado.

It was really strange. I think it might have thought I was some other kind of animal. I did what I had read you should do, stood my ground and put my arms up high in the air and started to wave them speaking in a monotone voice to let it know I was human. The bear veered off and left. Had I turned and run his chase instinct would have kicked in. They don't want to mess with something their size that is not afraid of them and by showing no fear you make them pause. You can watch even very small animals stand their ground against bears and the bear back off.

[hollysmom]

10. I never hearrd the monotone thing

Is that to bore it to death? j/k seriously never hear it.

[Quixote1818]

13. Here is one link

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-good-the-bad-and-the-grizzly-what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-bear/117/

Snip: Don’t scream or yell. Speak in a soft monotone voice and wave your arms to let the animal know you are human. If you have pepper spray, prepare to use it.


Here is another one: http://westernwildlife.org/grizzly-bear-outreach-project/bear-safety/

[PotatoChip]

21. Ok, but ya gotta admit that hollysmom's response was pretty funny.

[nruthie]

22. Thanks for a much-needed laugh.

[cyberswede]

2. I'm sad for the human, and sad for the bear.

The bear was just doing what bears do.

[closeupready]

4. Yeah, it would be different if humans were an endangered species.

But to the contrary, bears face humans as an existential threat every day. That doesn't mean I support bears killing people, but I'm sad that a bear was put down because he was being a bear, and also sad that a person lost their life.

[uppityperson]

5. I was reading about this last week, definitely a predatory black bear.

It is too bad they decided to continue and too bad they split up because as a group they'd have a better chance of fighting it off. Sometimes black bears turn to people to eat which is really too bad for all involved. Sometimes it is due to lack of food, sometimes habituation to people, other times there is no known reason, just a predatory animal and an easy food source.

[B Calm]

6. On vacation in Canada long time ago, I took my teenage son and his best friend

to the local landfill one evening to watch the black bears feeding. Sitting on top of the landfill and looking down, we watched six or seven bears tearing into the garbage. The largest bear in the group would stop every now and then and just stare at us. Eventually he just wandered back into the woods. About 10 minutes later my son tapped my shoulder and pointed. That bear that wandered into the woods was now standing on his hind legs on top of the landfill approx 30 yards away and staring at us. The three of us were terrified, but we slowly stood up and walked backwards out of the landfill to the safety of my pickup with him following us.

[Beaverhausen]

7. Why shoot the bear?

Jesus that is ridiculous. They were warned and made a tragic choice to keep going in. That bear should still be alive.

[City Lights]

8. I agree.

[Quantess]

11. The cop needed to teach that uppity bear a lesson.

That bear had a lot of nerve! Time for vengeance.

(Sarcastic)

[ileus]

14. you meet crazy people on the trail all the time.

With tales of rattlesnakes or bears or simple loose rock warnings all the time. We smile and politely say thanks and keep hiking...

(The AT is 1/4 mile from our home.)

[Yo_Mama]

16. Because once they learn humans are food, they don't forget. n/t

[UglyGreed]

19. They believe

once the bear has a taste for human flesh it may continue to peruse them as prey.

[ileus]

12. A great reason never to hike without a psd.

Right now I typically carry a 19+1 of 9mm, sidearm but hope to upgrade to a 10mm before next season.


Of course I've seen probably 100 bears in the wild and never had one that didn't head for the hills, but better safe than a bear chew toy.

I've only seen three this year while in the woods...None while actually bear hunting.

[UglyGreed]

15. They were warned by a couple

but they decided to go see the bear.......

[pansypoo53219]

17. never run. prey runs.

[Jamastiene]

18. Exactly.

It is a person's first instinct to run, but not a good one. The best one is to not run. Running just triggers a chasing instinct in the bear.

[UglyGreed]

20. Standing still is not an opinion either

I imagine....