NJ park closed to visitors due to uptick in black bear encounters, aggressive behavior
DENVILLE, New Jersey (WABC) -- Black bear encounters are on the rise and as a result one county park in New Jersey is now closed to visitors.
The Morris County Park Commission notified police in Denville that the Tourne County Park and trails are closed for seven days.
The commission says that there have been three minor encounters reported so far. And in two of those cases, human error is to blame.
"These incidents, we believe happened, because both reported a dog ran off-leash into the woods -- which is contrary to our rules and regulations, you have to have a dog on a 6-foot leash," said Dave Helmer with the Morris County Park Commission.
In one incident, a bear was with three cubs and came toward the park patron but stayed on the edge of the forest and didn't move closer.
Fish and Wildlife officials will set a trap to try to catch the bears.
"It will stay in place for up to seven days, if the bear is not caught, the trap will be removed and the park will reopen because Fish and Wildlife biologists figure it moved on or is less aggressive at this point in time," Helmer said.
The Denville police are asking residents to abide by the closure for their own safety.
"Residents living in the area of the park should remain cautious when encountering or observing any black bear and immediately report any aggressive or unusual encounters to the police department at 973-627-4900 ext. 9, or 9-1-1 in an emergency," authorities said.
A local resident said simply that some park visitors are not using common sense.
"I grew up here, you have to know how to deal with them, you respect them, you hear something, you back up," Ed albert said.
The DEP says black bear activity is down overall across most categories compared to this time last year. However, they have been raiding more bee hives.
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