By Julia Train
On Sept. 4, a Facebook user posted on the “What’s Going On in Mays Landing?” about a bear sighting by their house.
The post read, “BEAR SIGHTING! I’m posting on behalf of my neighbor who I don’t believe has Facebook. About 20 minutes ago on Smith and Malaga Rd, they spotted a black bear. It ran into the woods as the car startled it so just an FYI to everyone to watch their kids and pets!”
The Malaga and Smith intersection, a wooded area, is located right outside of Buena Township.
Shore Local Newsmagazine reached out to Moon DiGuglielmo, who made the Facebook post, for more information. However, DiGuglielmo did not respond before the time of publication.
Shore Local also asked Municipal Animal Control and Miscellaneous Services if they have received any recent reports of black bears in Mays Landing. Animal Control explained that they had not received a report of this bear sighting.
The comments were flooded by a mixture of reactions. Some said to leave it be, while others were worried about their pets or kids. There were also a few comments sprinkled in from people who have lived in areas with bears, sharing their stories and giving advice:
“The bear won’t go after any of your pets. They eat more berries and such or would rather raid your garbage or bird feeders. I lived for years in Upstate NY. And saw Black bears all the time. The only time to be very concerned is if you get between a Momma Bear and her cubs,” said Facebook user, Joan Hoge. “If you keep your bird feeders up high enough so they can’t get to them and your garbage is secured and or don’t feed them at all, it will move on.”
“Oh boy. We moved here 3 years ago from Pocono’s. We were very used to bears. #1 do not leave food including bird suet out. #watch trash. We would put trash out very early in the morning first thing they go for. That being said, I’ve been stared at by a bear. They turn around and run away but it’s always scary,” said Diane Cifuni.
Native to New Jersey, American black bears have historically been spotted in each of New Jersey’s counties. While most black bears are found in North Jersey, they have been expanding their range southward. There has been only one human fatality from a bear attack in New Jersey’s history; In 2014, a Rutgers University student in Passaic County photographed a black bear before being attacked by it.
According to the National Park Service (NPS), here’s a few tips on what to do if you see a bear.
Stay put, even if the bear comes closer. According to NPS, “It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening.”
Talk calmly to the bear to identify yourself as human and not prey.
Do not make any loud noises, run or make any sudden movements.
NPS said, “If the bear is standing still, move away slowly and sideways, which allows you to keep an eye on the bear and avoid tripping. Moving sideways is also nonthreatening to bears.”
Do not run or climb a tree. Bears can run as fast as a horse and climb.
Leave the area or take a detour. If this is impossible, wait until the bear moves away. Always leave the bear an escape route.
There are quite a few tips on the website, so make sure to view the full list here: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm. It’s important to be prepared.
According to New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, never feed a black bear! Besides being dangerous, it is also illegal and has a $1,000 penalty.
If you see a black bear, report it to New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337). To view data on all reported black bear sightings in New Jersey in 2023, see their website: https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/bears/activity-reports/.
Julia is a student at Rider University, majoring in multiplatform journalism with a minor in social media strategies. At school, she writes and copy edits for The Rider News and is the News Director for the radio station, producing news updates. She’ll be graduating in the spring. Connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
