Watch Dog Fight Off Bear In West Milford Backyard

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A video shows that a black bear got quite a surprise Tuesday night after wandering into Mark Stinziano's West Milford backyard.

A neighbor's dog ran into Stinziano's backyard after it saw a bear eating seeds from a bird feeder and scared it away.

The bear went into Stinziano's yard at about 8 p.m. The bear went into the yard and toppled a bird feeder he set up and ate some seeds. The bruin was eating the seeds when it stopped and looked up as if it heard something. A second later, Allan Tlusty's dog, Riley ran into the yard and went right to the bear.

The dog made contact with the bear twice, once while it was at the bird feeder and again while it ran away. The bear quickly ran out of the yard with Riley right behind it.

"My daughter said she saw a bear outside, so I went out and checked the footage on the camera and couldn't believe it," Stinziano said.

Tlusty's wife let Riley out. He often goes into Stinziano's yard, but didn't chase away a big bear until Tuesday.

"I'm not surprised. He's a fearless dog," Tlusty said of the 9-year-old mixed lab.

Stinziano said bear sightings are common where he lives, but this encounter was a first.

"It was the first time I'd ever seen Riley fight a bear off," Stinziano said. "He chased a bear up a tree before, but nothing like this."

Black bears are the largest land mammal in New Jersey. There were nearly 300 instances of black bears causing property damage and being nuisances in 2018, including 10 involving bird feeders, numbers from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection show. There have been 218 such incidents reported this year so far.

Officials recommend not feeding birds when bears are active in the area.

If you see a bear in the wild, there's a few ways to stay safe. Here are tips from the DEP:

• Remain calm. Never run from a bear. Instead, slowly back away. Avoid direct eye contact, which may be perceived by a bear as a challenge. Make sure the bear has an escape route.
• To scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, using a whistle, banging pots and pans, or sounding an air horn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.
• Make bears aware of your presence by speaking in an assertive voice, singing, clapping your hands, or making other noises. If hiking through bear country, always make your presence known through loud talking or clapping of hands.
• The bear may utter a series of huffs, make popping sounds by snapping its jaws and swatting the ground. These are warning signs that you are too close. Slowly back away, avoid direct eye contact. Do not run.
• If a bear stands on its hind legs or moves closer, it may be trying to get a better view or detect scents in the air. This is usually not a threatening behavior.
• Black bears will sometimes "bluff charge" when cornered, threatened, or attempting to steal food. Stand your ground, avoid direct eye contact, then slowly back away and do not run.
• If the bear does not leave, move to a secure area such as a vehicle or a building.
• Families who live in areas frequented by black bears should have a "Bear Plan" in place for children, with an escape route and planned use of whistles and air horns.
• Black bear attacks on humans are extremely rare. If a black bear does attack, fight back.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com