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Bear kills dog in Vernon back yard Pet leashed to stake when it was attacked Tuesday,
May 17, 2005 BY JOE MOSZCZYNSKI Star-Ledger Staff
A Vernon man's pet dog was killed by a mother bear when the bear bit the dog on the neck and carried it off to a neighbor's yard, police said yesterday.
Charles VonNostitz was out doing yard work at his home on Lakeside Drive West at 1:15 p.m. Sunday when the black bear, accompanied by a cub, killed his dog, police said.
The dog was on a leash attached to a stake in the ground when it was confronted by the bear, police said.
As the bear was carrying his dog away, VonNostitz, who lives in the Highland Lakes section of the township, yelled and threw pieces of firewood from his log pile at the bear in an attempt to get the bear to drop the dog, police said.
But the bear kept walking, snapping the leather leash that had been tied down to keep the dog in the yard, police said.
After she dropped the dog, the bear walked away with her cub. The dog was immediately checked and found to be dead with a severe neck wound. Police were unable to locate the bears.
Police said the dog was fed indoors and no food was found in the area.
The incident was one of more than 300 reported bear damage and/or nuisance reports made so far this year to the state Department of Environmental Protection Agency's Division of Fish & Wildlife.
There were 307 bear damage and/or nuisance reports and 180 bear sightings reported from Jan. 1 to May 9, according to division statistics confirmed yesterday by DEP spokeswoman Karen Hershey. For the same period last year, there were 172 damage and/or nuisance reports and 48 sightings.
Hershey said the division would be contacting police and VonNostitz to see if they want wildlife officials to set a trap in the area in an effort to catch the bear.
"We want to know more facts" about the incident before taking any action, she said.
Staff writer Brian Murray contributed to this report. Joe Moszczyn ski can be reached at jmoszczyn [email protected] or (973) 539-7910.
May 17, 2005 BY JOE MOSZCZYNSKI Star-Ledger Staff
A Vernon man's pet dog was killed by a mother bear when the bear bit the dog on the neck and carried it off to a neighbor's yard, police said yesterday.
Charles VonNostitz was out doing yard work at his home on Lakeside Drive West at 1:15 p.m. Sunday when the black bear, accompanied by a cub, killed his dog, police said.
The dog was on a leash attached to a stake in the ground when it was confronted by the bear, police said.
As the bear was carrying his dog away, VonNostitz, who lives in the Highland Lakes section of the township, yelled and threw pieces of firewood from his log pile at the bear in an attempt to get the bear to drop the dog, police said.
But the bear kept walking, snapping the leather leash that had been tied down to keep the dog in the yard, police said.
After she dropped the dog, the bear walked away with her cub. The dog was immediately checked and found to be dead with a severe neck wound. Police were unable to locate the bears.
Police said the dog was fed indoors and no food was found in the area.
The incident was one of more than 300 reported bear damage and/or nuisance reports made so far this year to the state Department of Environmental Protection Agency's Division of Fish & Wildlife.
There were 307 bear damage and/or nuisance reports and 180 bear sightings reported from Jan. 1 to May 9, according to division statistics confirmed yesterday by DEP spokeswoman Karen Hershey. For the same period last year, there were 172 damage and/or nuisance reports and 48 sightings.
Hershey said the division would be contacting police and VonNostitz to see if they want wildlife officials to set a trap in the area in an effort to catch the bear.
"We want to know more facts" about the incident before taking any action, she said.
Staff writer Brian Murray contributed to this report. Joe Moszczyn ski can be reached at jmoszczyn [email protected] or (973) 539-7910.
