Ramapo Mountain State Forest reopens following bear encounters

The Department of Environmental Protection reopened Ramapo Mountain State Forest Tuesday following a closure over black bears. The DEP and New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife closed the park last

News 12 Staff

Oct 21, 2015, 2:25 AM

Updated 3,257 days ago

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The Department of Environmental Protection reopened Ramapo Mountain State Forest Tuesday following a closure over black bears.
The DEP and New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife closed the park last week due to unusual activity involving the forest's bears. A group of hikers reported seeing a bear exhibiting potentially dangerous behavior.
State biologists caught several bears while the park was closed and found they had become too accustomed to people. Officials say this may be due to visitors feeding the bears, which is illegal in New Jersey.
The DEP has placed additional signs throughout the state forest reminding visitors and hikers not to feed the animals.
Officials made the decision to reopen the park after an assessment by wildlife officials determined the area was safe.