The preserve is a cooperative project of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF) and the county of Passaic. Apshawa's mixed hardwood forest is dominated by oak and sugar maple. The group of four fled the woods and called 911, according to police records. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Larry Ragonese, of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, told the broadcaster that the bear will undergo a full necropsy to determine what may have prompted it to become aggressive. Authorities say the first known fatal bear attack in New Jersey was unprovoked and the bear was acting in a 'predatory' manner. An autopsy showed that Patel was mauled by the bear. Apshawa Preserve; Search. Darsh Patel, a Rutgers University student from Edison, New Jersey, and his friends came face to face with the bear on Sunday afternoon in the Apshawa Preserve around 40 … You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Rutgers student Darsh Patel, 22, … However, the attacks on Patel can still be considered "one in a million," they added. When the bear reached that proximity, the group split up running in different directions, they later told police investigators. Chief Timothy Storbeck said in previous interviews that Patel and four of his friends had begun walking into the preserve that afternoon when they were met by a man and a woman coming the other way. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. As of May 2, 2020, Franklin Parker Preserve and Apshawa Preserve are reopened to the public, consistent with the reopening of New Jersey state and county parks. The photographs are from the phone of Darsh Patel, the 22-year-old Rutgers University student who was killed by the same bear just a short while later, said Lt. Keith Ricciardi, of the West Milford Police. © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Darsh Patel was walking with four friends through the Apshawa Preserve in West Milford in September when the black bear attacked. Gallery: Suspected bear attack kills Edison man at West Milford nature preserve. The death of Patel was the first confirmed instance of a person being killed by a bear in New Jersey. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. West Milford Officials and representatives from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection called a press conference to discuss the suspected fatal bear attack. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. WEST MILFORD, N.J. -- Authorities have released a 911 call made in connection with a deadly bear attack that claimed the life of a 22-year-old Rutgers student who was hiking with four of his friends. Bear attacks on humans are rare, but can be deadly. Yes, there was a bear attack back in 2014, but rest assured that was a freak occurrence and the only fatal attack on record in all of NJ, *ever*. All rights reserved (About Us). The bear was in the area, authorities said. The 40-acre Butler Reservoir is a scenic attraction for hikers and birdwatchers, and the Apshawa Brook flows through the preserve to the Pequannock River. WEST MILFORD, N.J. – Authorities believe a 300-pound black bear attacked and killed a hiker in a North Jersey nature preserve. Patel was part of a group of five Edison men hiking through the Apshawa Preserve, a wooded area of West Milford, Police Chief Timothy C. Storbeck said in a press release. The New York Post reports that Darsh Patel was walking with four friends through the Apshawa Preserve in West Milford in September when the black bear attacked.. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/20). A 22-year-old man was killed by a black bear in New Jersey's Apshawa Preserve on Sunday, according to police. No one has been killed by a black bear in New Jersey since 1852, according to … 0. ... How old was the bear? The five stopped when the bear was 300 feet away, Storbeck had said. Some 60 such fatal attacks have occurred in North America over the last century, experts said. The pair warned the larger group about a bear following them. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. If parking lots are near capacity,… Black bears were virtually eradicated from New Jersey by the 1960s, but have since rebounded to a population of about 2,500. The pictures show the 300-pound black bear approaching the group of hikers in West Milford’s Apshawa Preserve on Sept. 21, according to authorities, who released the series of five photographs in response to an Open Public Records Act request filed by NJ Advance Media. Darsh Patel was 22. Please support local journalism. Patel at one point lost his shoe, and was last seen climbing a rock formation as he hollered for his friends to continue, with the bear right behind him. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? In 2002, a bear killed a 5-month-old girl in New York State after knocking her out of a stroller and dragging her into the woods of the Catskills Mountains. In a statement, the mayor of West Milford said the entire circumstances of the deadly encounter will be reviewed. 22 … "There was a bear that was circling the area that would not leave the victim. Patel was hiking with four of his friends when the bear began following them, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The pictures show the 300-pound black bear approaching the group of hikers in West Milford’s Apshawa Preserve on Sept. 21, according to authorities, who released the series of … Eventually, a police officer shot and killed the bear. An official says the attack was the first fatal bear-human encounter on record in New Jersey ... had gone to the Apshawa Preserve, about 45 miles northwest of … A black bear killed a 22-year-old student as he hiked with four of his friends through a densely wooded area of the US state of New Jersey, police confirmed on Monday. Please continue to following the guidelines put forth by the CDC, including social distancing, limiting group sizes, and wearing masks when appropriate. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Welcome to the Apshawa Preserve! Patel was in his final year at Rutgers University, where he had majored in information technology and informatics. The 22-year-old student became the … A black bear, similar to the creature which killed Patel, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Black bear kills university student in New Jersey's Apshwa Preserve, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. Follow him on Twitter @SethAugenstein. In this Sept. 21, 2014 photo taken by hiker Darsh Patel and provided by the West Milford Police Department, a bear approaches 22-year-old Patel in New Jersey's Apshawa Preserve. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. West Milford police … Apshawa Preserve: The friends were hiking when Darsh was attacked (Image: syvwlch / Flickr). The couple walked away, leaving the group of five to talk about what they were going to do. A 2012 report published by the department states that there are around 3,000 black bears in New Jersey - one of the highest black bear densities in the nation. Subscribe today », Seth Augenstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, who was killed by the same bear just a short while later, phone was later recovered with a puncture mark from the animal's teeth, fatal attacks have occurred in North America over the last century. Emergency responders came upon Patel’s body about four hours later. When the four of them safely regrouped, they realised Patel was missing and phoned the police. New Jersey hiker killed in bear attack ... Apshawa Preserve is a 576-acre nature preserve of oak and sugar maple trees that is popular with hikers and bird watchers. Apshawa Preserve. A black bear has attacked and killed a hiker in a New Jersey nature preserve. On Sunday, Patel, who was majoring in information technology and informatics, was found dead in Apshawa Preserve - about 45 miles northwest of New York City - … A sixth photo, taken by a friend of Patel’s who was apparently standing next to him, is virtually identical to the five from Patel’s phone. “As we grieve over his tragic passing, please know that our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones and to all his friends and fellow students at Rutgers,” Rutgers Chancellor Dr Richard L. Edwards said in a statement. ... Patel was part of a group of five Edison men hiking through the Apshawa Preserve, a … A Rutgers University student was killed after being attacked by a black bear as he hiked through a nature preserve in North Jersey Sunday, authorities say. A New Jersey man met an untimely fate while hiking through the Apshawa Preserve. Authorities say a black bear attacked and killed a hiker in a northern New Jersey nature preserve. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. A New Jersey university student was killed after being mauled by a black bear while hiking, in what officials called an extremely rare attack. He was the first known person in New Jersey history to be killed by a black bear. WEST MILFORD — The hiker who was killed by a bear in September took pictures of the animal just before the attack. Description. Nature & Wildlife Areas. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. The hikers turned around when the bear kept approaching, authorities said. at November 21, 2020. by Christy Pepple. Darsh Patel (inset), a student of Rutgers University (background), was killed while hiking. A bear at the scene was euthanized. Around two hours later, officers found and shot dead the four-year-old male bear, which weighed around 136kg (300lbs), as it guarded Patel's dead body, CBS New York reported. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Seth Augenstein can be reached at saugenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? The eyewitness interviews give the most detailed account yet of what happened at the Apshawa Preserve where Darsh Patel was killed by the 300-pound bear's claws and teeth, according to … Apparent bear attack killed Edison man, 22, in West Milford “WEST MILFORD — An Edison hiker was found dead Sunday after an encounter with a bear, police said. Human remains were found in the bear’s stomach and esophagus, and human blood and tissue were found underneath its claws, authorities said. The powerful creature followed the hikers, causing them to scatter in fear, the police said in a statement. 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