Fatal bear attack in West Milford preserve is first recorded in New Jersey in 150 years

Around the Apshawa Preserve, residents seal garbage containers, bring their dogs inside and scrub their barbecue grills clean, daily chores to ensure that ever-present bears keep their distance. But the fatal bear attack on a 22-year-old Rutgers student Sunday — the first recorded in more than 150 years, state officials say — came as a startling reminder of the dangers that can arise from the rare bear-human confrontation. Five friends had been hiking at the preserve in West Milford on Sunday afternoon when they scattered in fear upon realizing a black bear was following them, a move experts say put each individual at greater risk. Four of them regrouped and called authorities just before 4 p.m. about their missing friend. Two hours later, the body of Darsh Patel of Edison was found. It’s the first killing by a bear in New Jersey since the 1850s, said Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for Department of Environmental Protection. Tim Storbeck, the West Milford police chief, said there were “bite marks and claw marks” on Patel’s body during a noon news conference at borough hall. When officers arrived on scene and found Patel’s body, a bear lurked in the area and “would not leave the victim,” he said. An officer fired twice with a shotgun and killed it...more