Police in New Jersey had to shoot and kill a bear that charged at them after apparently trapping a mother and her daughter inside a nature preserve, according to the county sheriff's office.
The mother had called the Essex County Sheriff's Office after 11 a.m. Monday to tell police that she and her daughter were stuck in the area of Locust Grove due to the bear. Officers arrived at the scene at South Mountain Reservation and found the woman, her child and others at the nature preserve.
As the sheriff's officers were trying to escort the people out of the reservation, the bear returned, encountering the group on the path to leave the area. The officers safely escorted the group out, and when they tried to get the bear to go back to the wooded area, the animal charged at them.
The officers fired at the bear, killing it. No other injuries were reported.
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The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said the bear was a male and about 120 pounds. Essex County officials said the Fairy Trail near the Locust Grove section of the nature reserve would be closed to hikers until Tuesday morning.
