Bear suspected of killing Edison hiker, 22

WEST MILFORD – Authorities believe a 300-pound black bear attacked and killed a hiker in a North Jersey nature preserve.

West Milford police said five friends from Edison were hiking in the Apshawa Preserve when they encountered the bear on Sunday. Police say the group of inexperienced hikers became frightened and ran in different directions at about 3:44 p.m.. They noticed one member was missing when they regrouped.

A search team located the body of 22-year-old Darsh Patel at 5:54 p.m.. West Milford Police Chief Timothy Storbeck said there was evidence of bite marks and claw marks on Patel's body.

The state Department of Environmental Protections considers the fatal attack an isolated incident, Storbeck said.

The bear was about 35 yards from Patel's body, circling the area, according to West Milford Police Capt. Richard Fiorilla.

Storbeck said members of a search-and-rescue team clapped in an attempt to scare away the bear, but it stayed there as if protecting the body. The bear, which was believed to about 4 years old, Fiorilla said, was euthanized at the scene.

Fiorilla, a 23-year veteran of the West Milford Police Department, said this is the second report of a bear-and-human encounter during his time on the force.

The last time someone was killed by a black bear in New Jersey was in 1852, according to Lawrence Hajna, state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman.

Patel was a senior at Rutgers University in the School of Arts and Sciences, majoring in information technology and informatics. He did not live on campus, school officials said.

"As we grieve over his tragic passing, please know that our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones and to all his friends and fellow students at Rutgers," Rutgers Chancellor Richard L. Edwards said in a statement provided to Mycentraljersey.com.

Edwards said members of the Rutgers community can call CAPS (Counseling, ADAP and Psychiatric Services) on the College Avenue Campus for counseling at 848-932-7884. A counselor is on call all day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the counseling center, 17 Senior St., New Brunswick, for those with urgent needs.

He said additional counselors are available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the vice chancellor for student affairs' conference room on the fourth floor of the College Avenue Student Center.

The names of the other hikers were not released as the investigation is ongoing, Fiorilla said. West Milford police, the N.J. State Medical Examiner and the N.J. State Department of Environmental Protection's Fish and Wildlife Division are investigating. The DEP plans to conduct tests on the bear to look at the stomach contents and determine if it was sick or wounded.

Storbeck said bear sightings are a common occurrence in West Milford. He said there are a few problem bears that get into houses for food, garbage and yards.

Jeffrey Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club director, said bears usually are docile and afraid of people. He noted that most bear attacks in the past were related to people having food. Storbeck said the hikers had granola bars and water, but he couldn't say if that would be enough food to attract the bear's attention.

Most bears will avoid people, Tittel said, but bears that have been fed or exposed to food from humans, then see people as a source of food and can become aggressive.

"We need to require bear-proof garbage containers and strictly enforce a prohibition on the feeding of bears so tragedies like this can be avoided," Tittel said. "We also need to have signs warning people they are in bear country and have educational materials listed at all trail heads."

He said the state has significantly cut back the amount of money spent on bear education.

"Ten years ago, we were spending over $2.5 million a year on bear education and now we are spending a tenth of that," said Tittel, adding that the state has been using hunting instead of a bear management plan.

The Apshawa Preserve is a 576-acre natural area used for hiking and bird watching, about 45 miles northwest of New York City.

Everett Merrill contributed to this report.

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com

Bear facts

Generally, bears tend to be wary of people.

Bears will eat almost anything including human food, garbage, pet food, birdseed and small livestock. Once they find an easily accessible food source, they will lose their wariness of people and may return to the available food source. These bears can become a nuisance or aggressive and may have to be trapped and adversively conditioned or destroyed.

Never feed bears. It's illegal in New Jersey, and it's dangerous. Anyone feeding bears could face a penalty of up to $1,000 for each offense.

Never approach a bear.

Remain calm. Make the bear aware of your presence by speaking in an assertive voice, singing, clapping your hands or making other noises.

Make sure the bear has an escape route. If a bear enters your home, provide it with an escape route by propping open doors.

Avoid direct eye contact which may be perceived by the bear as a challenge. Never run from a bear, Slowly back away.

To scare the bear, make loud noises by yelling, banging pots and pans or use an airhorn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms.

If a bear does not leave, move to a secure area. Immediately notify the DEP's 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-877-927-6337.

Source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish and Wildlife