Backyard Bear Gives N.J. Woman a Scare

“http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20070212/45cff450_3ca6_1552620070212-1640468009

Backyard Bear Gives N.J. Woman a Scare
From Associated Press
February 12, 2007 1:32 PM EST
MAPLEWOOD, N.J. - A woman glancing out a kitchen window in this bedroom community just west of New York City was startled to find a black bear peering back in at her.

"I was making a pot of coffee, and I turned around and there he was in the window looking at me," said Lorraine Grossman.

She screamed, spooking the 211-pound bear, which ran to a nearby tree, climbed 40 feet up and wouldn't budge. More than 50 neighbors gathered in Maplewood to watch for five hours Sunday as the creature just yawned.

"He's really kind of cute," said Joanne Penaluna.

State wildlife officers eventually shot the animal with a tranquilizer dart. After hanging on for about 10 minutes, the bear dropped into a net. It was taken away, tagged, then released at a state wildlife management area.

"It's not something you get to see every day - bears falling out of trees," said Pete Samek, whose 5-year-old daughter, Lucy Rose, watched from his shoulders.

Bears usually hibernate from December to March, though they can be easily roused, said Larry Katz, chairman of the animal sciences department at Rutgers University.

"It's a little early for them to be waking up," he said. "Someone or something probably walked over the area where it was hibernating."

Authorities said the bear, a male estimated to be 2 or 3 years old, might have been snacking on birdseed and likely wandered in from the nearby South Mountain Reservation.”

“Why do we bother getting bears and cats down from trees? How many dead bear or cats have ever been found UP a tree?
last edited: 2/12/07 2:51:53 PM”

“Humans are often as stupid as habituated bears. They are NOT true hibernators and if weather and food availiability are not problems for the bear, some will not hibernate at all.

Bird feeders and garbage cans take care of the one need.”

“I think bears have been absent from this area for a very long time probably for generations, so no one has any experience living with bears. The bear population in NJ is now steadily growing with very little habit available for the bears. Since they won’t allow bear hunting scenes like this will become common in NJ.”

“"He's really kind of cute," said Joanne Penaluna.

Famous last words.”

“NJ has a bear season.

Just like surburban deer herds, they have learned to live with us. We provide everything they need. All it takes is for the wildlife to get over the fear.
last edited: 2/12/07 6:38:05 PM”

“funny thing happens when you turn a light on in a dark room.

I think it's ridiculous that people think NJ has a bear problam. Matter of fact, NJ has a people problem. You take away their territory, they're going to live in your back yard.”

“It's not something you get to see every day - bears falling out of trees,"

i saw four in the space of a mile in new jersey. i literally expected this”

“She screamed, spooking the 211-pound bear, which ran to a nearby tree, climbed 40 feet up and wouldn't budge.

or maybe it was the sight of her in the am without her make-up on yet, YIKES !!!

Sounds more like the bear got the scare.
last edited: 2/12/07 6:55:16 PM”

“wht didn't the grizzly cross the gravel road?
It had bear feet”

“Why do we bother getting bears and cats down from trees? How many dead bear or cats have ever been found UP a tree?
last edited: 2/12/07 3:51:53 PM”
StoveStomper
3:51:36 PM
2/12/07

LOL!


Lorax - I think the general consensus has changed, again, and bears are considered "true hibernators".”

“One source:

Once considered not to be true hibernators because they maintain high body temperatures in winter, black bears are now recognized as highly efficient hibernators—some say super hibernators. They sleep for months without eating, drinking, urinating, or defecating. Hibernators with lower body temperature, such as chipmunks, woodchucks, and ground squirrels, cannot do this. These other mammals must awaken every few days, raise their temperatures to over 94 degrees Fahrenheit, move around in their burrows, and urinate. Some of them must also eat and defecate during periodic arousals. Black bears develop far more insulated pelts and have lower surface-to-mass ratios than these smaller hibernators. As a result, a bear’s body heat is lost very slowly. Although its metabolic rate is reduced by half, it still maintains a hibernating temperature above 88 degrees—within 12 degrees of its active summer temperature.

This high resting temperature means, among other things, hibernating black bears can react more quickly to danger than other hibernating animals whose body temperatures may be less than 40 degrees. New knowledge of hibernation processes has led biologists to redefine mammalian hibernation simply as specialized, seasonal reduction of metabolism in response to the concurrent pressures of food unavailability and low environmental temperatures.

http://www.bear.org/Black/BlackBearResearch/Bear_Center_Conducts_Hibernation_Study.html”

“Beary interesting”

“So the one in my yard last week was sleep walking?”

“For those that don't know, Maplewood is about 5 minutes from Newark and 15 min. from Manhattan - it's not exactly bear territory and people didn't just settle it last week. There are areas of the state where our bear management plan encourages coexistence with bears, urban Essex County is not one of them.



last edited: 2/13/07 10:49:44 AM”

“Maplewood is the next town from me -- two towns outside of Newark, actually -- so think very urban neighborhood -- probably the in the first ring with single-family houses around Newark.

That said, it also has a pretty large border with the South Mountain Reservation, which is several hundred acres of wooded preserve. Definitely home to a bear or 20...”

“Let's also not forget that half of western Essex County is the South Mountain Reservation and the largely undeveloped Passaic River basin (undeveloped due to concerns with flooding and the wetlands). The resulting woods these towns (like Maplewood, Short Hills, West Orange, and Livingston) are surrounded by make an ideal home for bears.”

“Here's a video of the bear up the tree: http://wcbstv.com/pets/local_story_042123843.html”

“Lorax - I think the general consensus has changed, again, and bears are considered "true hibernators".”

It's been a few years since my work with PA's black bear program. I was involved with the research for 6 years. Hardly an expert, more of a "field tech", it looks as if the consensus has changed and I'm now having a "Pluto" moment.

Thanks for the link, bearmagnet”

“What I find fascinating is the fact that the media thinks the bear was 'stuck' in the tree. I'm pretty sure the bear could have gotten down all by his own self.”

“You are correct nogranola, but the urban Maplewood lady had a bad case of NIMBY”