Did this really happen in New Jersey?
A black bear attacking campers?
Indeed it did.
Yes, New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the union. But northwestern New Jersey (near the New York and Pennsylvania borders) is, in many ways, New Jersey's last frontier. Much of it is untouched by development of any sort. It's about as wild and unencumbered as New Jersey gets (save for Atlantic City, but that's another story).
Now it seems a couple of boys who were camping in Stokes State Forest were attacked in their tent by a black bear. Thankfully, the boys' injuries were minor. The bear was eventually shot but not killed. So, the bear is still on the loose.
There has been talk of permitting black bear hunting in northwestern New Jersey but to the best of my knowledge that has never been given the green light.
And the Jersey black bear population continues to thrive.
Of course, it's worth noting that bears do not honor state boundaries. And the nearby areas of Pennsylvania and New York are mountainous (for the northeast, anyway) and untouched.
So, there are bears up there.
Beware!
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