New Jersey, which hosts the highest human population density in the United States, faces the challenge of managing large wildlife populations. This juxtaposition of human development and natural spaces has created a dynamic landscape where the state’s largest terrestrial mammal, the black bear, is actively expanding its presence. Residents often encounter these animals, prompting curiosity about the total number of bears living within the state’s borders, which requires scientific methods to track and estimate.
Current Population Estimate and Methodology
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) provides a scientific estimate rather than an exact census number for the bear population. Most recently, the population estimate for the core area in the northwestern counties—Sussex, Warren, Morris, and Passaic—is approximately 3,000 black bears. The overall population across the entire state is projected to grow to over 4,000 bears within the next few years if population control measures are not implemented.
Wildlife biologists use the mark-recapture method as the primary technique for estimating these figures. This involves capturing, marking, and releasing bears in a defined study area. Researchers safely capture the animals using traps, such as Aldrich foot snares and culvert traps, to collect biological data and tag the bears before release.
The data collected from captured and recaptured bears is incorporated into population models to estimate the total number of untagged bears. Additional information from radio telemetry studies, which track collared bears, and reproduction data on litter sizes and cub survival rates, further refines the accuracy of these estimates.
Historical Context and Population Recovery
By the mid-1900s, the black bear population had been reduced to fewer than 100 individuals, confined almost entirely to the remote northwestern corner of the state. This near-extirpation resulted from extensive habitat loss due to deforestation and agricultural expansion, coupled with unregulated hunting.
The population began its slow recovery after the state classified the black bear as a game animal in 1953, affording them certain protections. A more significant recovery followed in 1971 when all bear hunting was prohibited for over three decades. The regeneration of forested areas and migration from neighboring Pennsylvania and New York also helped the population rebound.
This conservation success allowed the bear population to grow and expand its range, eventually testing the environment’s carrying capacity in the core region. New Jersey’s black bears now exhibit some of the highest cub survival rates and largest litter sizes in the nation, reflecting the quality of the remaining habitat and abundant food sources.
Species and Geographical Range
The only bear species present in New Jersey is the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus). This large mammal is recognizable by its relatively straight facial profile, absence of a shoulder hump, and a coat that is almost universally black in New Jersey. Adult males average around 400 pounds, while the smaller adult females average about 175 pounds, making them the state’s largest native terrestrial mammal.
The population remains highly concentrated in the four northwestern counties: Sussex, Warren, Morris, and northern Passaic, which contain the densest mixed hardwood forests. As the population has grown, young bears have dispersed, causing the geographical range to expand significantly. Black bear sightings are now confirmed in all 21 of New Jersey’s counties, demonstrating their adaptability to suburban and urbanized environments.
Management and Coexistence Strategies
Managing a growing black bear population in the most densely populated state requires an integrated approach focused on population control and coexistence. The state’s management strategy combines research, public education, and regulatory tools to minimize human-bear conflicts. This includes regulated hunting seasons as a method of population control, with specific restrictions on the taking of cubs or sows with small cubs.
Non-lethal strategies emphasize public outreach and education to foster coexistence. Residents are provided with actionable advice aimed at minimizing interactions by eliminating attractants that draw bears into human-populated areas. This involves:
- Securing all garbage in bear-resistant containers.
- Removing bird feeders between April and November.
- Never intentionally or unintentionally feeding bears.
Wildlife officials also utilize aversive conditioning techniques, which involve using non-lethal deterrents to discourage nuisance bears from returning to developed areas. State law enforcement can take action against bears exhibiting dangerous or highly habituated behavior, including euthanizing those that pose a public safety risk after repeated attempts to deter them have failed. These measures aim to keep bears wary of people and prevent them from associating human dwellings with easily accessible food sources.