There's trouble a-bruin

Every September, hundreds of University students venture into black bear territory during Outdoor Action, one of the University’s pre-orientation program for incoming undergraduates. On June 19, a black bear returned the favor.

According to the Princeton Police Department, the juvenile black bear was spotted near The Hun School, a private middle school and high school located about one and a half miles down Stockton Street from Nassau Hall. This came after another black bear sighting near Lawrenceville the day before and prompted the police department to warn Princeton residents. The department also released a video of the bear that garnered nearly 9,000 views.

Public Safety released a warning on their website this past Monday advising students of the situation. The notification urged the campus community to be alert. It also appeared on the University homepage and the emergency management website. Cautioning avoidance, Public Safety requested that anyone who spotted the animal call Public Safety’s emergency cell-phone number. In the case of encountering a bear, the Princeton police department advised residents to avoid approaching, to make loud noises, and to leave the bear an escape route.

University Vice President for Communications Daniel Day wrote in an email that because “bears wander widely,” the University deemed the sighting worthy of community notice.

Despite the alert, some students on campus were unaware of the bear sighting.

“I didn’t see the PSafe warning and I didn’t know about the bear sighting, but it’s frightening to know that a there was a bear sighting so close to campus,” said Michael Yifan Li ’20. “After becoming aware of the sighting, I’ve extensively prepared myself for any bear encounters.”

According to Day, the University has not heard of any further bear sightings.

The Humane Society of the United States recommends preventive measures to lessen the chance of ursine encounters, such as making trash inaccessible and properly disposing of food waste. Some of these skills are taught during OA, such as “bear-bagging,” where food and other bear-attracting items are hoisted and secured hanging between trees. In New Jersey, it is illegal to feed bears. OA leaders are also trained what to do in case of a bear spotting.

“You’re supposed to make yourself big and loud: we shout ‘Hello, Mister Bear!’ for a black bear and play dead for a grizzly,” said Sophia Feist ‘18, who co-led an OA trip in black bear country in Connecticut in 2016. “Neither will come after you unless you’re too close to their cubs, though.”

“I think, if worst comes to worst, you’re supposed to punch them in the nose,” Feist added. If escape is impossible, the National Park Service recommends fighting back against a black bear attack, focusing on the face and snout.

The American black bear is an omnivore and the world's most common bear species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) place black bears in their “least concern” category for wildlife, explaining on their website that “the species is widespread and occupies a large portion of its historical range.” The IUCN also noted that black bear population estimates indicate their population to be twice as large as all other bear species combined. There are an estimated one million black bears worldwide.

However, changing global climate likely poses a threat to black bears along with many other apex predators. Droughts or changing climates could force bears to venture farther for food as their traditional ecosystem can no longer support them.

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Black bear sightings have become more common as suburban sprawl becomes more prevalent and humans encroach on what was once black bear territory. Furthermore, since the late 1980s, black bear populations have been growing more rapidly due to increased protective measures from the U.S. and Canadian governments.

It is legal to hunt black bears in most U.S. states. After a five-year prohibition, New Jersey instituted a black bear hunting season in 2010 in reaction to concerns over growing bear populations. The 2016 hunting season, concurrent with deer hunting season, was open Dec. 5-10. Each hunter was limited to a maximum of two bears; previously, the limit was one bear per season. Hunting areas are primarily located in northern New Jersey. University students may be eligible to purchase a hunting license after completion of a hunter education course.