BY LINDA SMITH HANCHARICK
WEST MILFORD — The black bear suspected of killing a 22-year-old hiker in Apshawa Preserve last month did not have rabies and appeared to be in "good nutritional body condition" according to a report released this week by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
A necropsy was performed on the bear, which was shot and killed by West Milford police after he was found circling the body of Darsh Patel of Edison. Patel had been hiking with four friends at the preserve on Sunday, Sept. 21, when the bear ran after them, according to the other hikers. The necropsy found human blood on the front paws of the bear as well as human tissue, human hair and clothing that matched those worn by Patel in the bear's mouth and stomach.
Autopsy results on Patel have not yet been released.
Hikers interviewed
West Milford Police announced they were looking for two hikers that had seen the group of five young men just before the attack. On Wednesday, police said they had identified and interviewed the two. The female hiker is from Boston, Massachusetts, and the male is from Bound Brook. Police said that the two confirmed they were hiking in Apshawa Preserve for several hours when the woman became aware of a black bear following them. The bear was approximately 30 to 40 yards away and continued following for about 10 minutes. The two met the group of five men on the trail and told them about the bear, warning them not to proceed.
The five men continued on their original path in the direction of the bear. A short time later, they observed a black bear. The men took pictures with their cell phones from what they felt was a safe distance from the bear. The bear continued in the group's direction when they decided to turn around and go back in the direction from which they had come. The bear followed them, closing the distance. The bear and the group quickened the pace and eventually started running. They ran for several minutes before the men were separated.
The men told police they ran in different directions and then met up later, only to realize they could not find Patel. They left the preserve and called police.
Police entered the preserve and found Patel's body, along with the bear who was nearby and would not leave. Police characterized the bear as aggressive and shot the 302-pound male twice with a shotgun, killing him. Patel's body showed signs of trauma consistent with a bear attack.
The photos from the hikers' cell phones, along with all other documentation and evidence, were shared with New Jersey Division of Environmental Protection to assist with their investigation, said West Milford police Chief Timothy Storbeck in a release.
The investigation will not be complete until Patel's autopsy results are included, Storbeck said.