Bear attacks NJ campsite, hurts 2 boys, gets shot

Associated Press

BRANCHVILLE, N.J. — A young black bear attacked a campsite on Wednesday, injuring two boys, before being shot in the neck and scampering into the woods, authorities said.

The attack occurred in a heavily wooded area of Stokes State Forest in Sussex County near the Appalachian Trail in northwestern New Jersey. The bear entered an area being used by campers from Montague-based Trail Blazers Camp, state police said.

The bear tried to grab one boy out of a tent, causing a minor foot injury, and swiped at another boy, causing a shoulder injury, state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Lawrence Hajna said. It tried to enter a second tent, he said.

Two adult counselors were with the group of nine young campers and herded them into a partially enclosed shelter, where they made as much noise as possible to try to scare the bear away while calling for help, Hajna said.

The bear left but soon returned and was rummaging through the campsite when a wildlife technician arrived and shot it in the neck.

The bear fled into the woods, where conservation officials searched for it. Wildlife officials said the bear is a yearling, the age between cub and full-grown when a bear strikes out on its own. They cordoned off the area.

The injured campers are described as a 12-year-old from Jersey City and an 11-year-old from New York City. It's unclear which boy sustained which injury. Both were hospitalized.

Bear attacks are infrequent in New Jersey, according to Hajna, who says black bears can be curious but usually run away when people make noise. Hajna says bear incidents have decreased this year, with about 16 sightings reported and no other attacks.