NEW JERSEY — As black bears emerge from winter dens and begin searching for food, New Jersey environmental officials are reminding residents to take precautions to prevent encounters.
The Department of Environmental Protection is urging residents to secure garbage and remove other food sources that may attract bears into neighborhoods during the spring months.
“We’ve had a long winter, and black bears are emerging from their dens and searching for food,” said NJDEP Fish & Wildlife Assistant Commissioner Dave Golden. “They have a remarkable sense of smell and can detect scents more than two miles away from a food source. Therefore, it’s very important that residents reduce the potential for encounters by removing trash and other potential food sources as the smell can draw them into neighborhoods. The risk of an unwanted encounter rises if bears associate you or your property with food.”
Black bears have been reported in all 21 counties in New Jersey, though they are most commonly found in the northwest region, including Morris, Sussex, Warren and northern Passaic counties, as well as parts of Hunterdon, Somerset and Bergen counties.
Officials said bears are opportunistic feeders and will seek out easily accessible food sources such as unsecured trash, pet food, bird seed and livestock feed. Once bears associate human environments with food, they may return repeatedly, increasing the risk of property damage or encounters.
The DEP also reminded residents that feeding black bears is illegal in New Jersey and can result in fines of up to $1,000.
Black bears are not true hibernators and enter a state of winter dormancy known as torpor. As they emerge in early spring, they must replenish body weight lost during the winter, often seeking out plants, insects and other available food sources.
“NJDEP Fish & Wildlife continues to use its Know the Bear Facts media outreach campaign to raise awareness of bears and bear safety,” said Assistant Commissioner Golden. “The yearly campaign includes public service announcements on social media, streaming services, radio broadcasts and more during periods of peak bear activity in the spring, summer and fall, and reaches millions of people throughout the state.”
Residents are encouraged to take steps such as securing trash in bear-resistant containers, cleaning outdoor grills, removing fallen fruit and avoiding outdoor feeding of pets to reduce the likelihood of encounters.
If a bear is encountered, officials advise residents to remain calm, avoid running, make loud noises to scare the animal away and slowly back away while giving the bear an escape route.
Authorities said black bear attacks are rare but urged residents to report aggressive behavior or damage to local police or to NJDEP Fish & Wildlife by calling 1-(877) WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).
