Officials are cautioning everyone to be on the lookout for black bears after a woman right outside the area was reportedly attacked getting her mail. After coming out of hibernation from winter, bears are on the move through many areas like New York and New Jersey with their young. While they tend to avoid human confrontation most of the time, a mother bear protecting her cubs isn't something you want to trifle with. An investigation is currently under way over this most recent attack.

Woman Attacked

NJ.com says that a 34-year-old woman in Sussex County was hurt Wednesday afternoon while she was walking down the road getting her mail. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says saw two to three bears were seen in the area, though they're still trying to confirm the nature of the attack. The New Jersey State Police however says that the bear charged the woman, leaving her with injuries to her arm and buttock.

The DEP says that the bear was between 150 to 200 pounds, and between 1 to 2 years old.

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Be Mindful of the Bears

The New York DEC says that bears will eat just about anything, such as grasses, berries, fruit, nuts, insects, grubs, and carrion, as well as human sources of food like corn, honey, bird seed, trash, and pet food when available.The DEC says that when bears learn that they can get food from humans, they can become more aggressive. You also really want to watch loose trash that you've thrown out. Bears love going through that.

They'll also open the doors to your house and invite themselves in! Read HERE.

American black bears are commonly found among the forested areas of the Northeast and within the Appalachian Mountains. They can vary in size by region, though both male and female black bears found in New York state average around 298 LBs., according to Wikipedia. The majority of black bears in New York live in the Adirondack and Catskills, though the DEC says they've become well established in almost all areas of he state.

Also, Don't Take Selfies With Bears 

It's important. Read HERE.

Don't Sacrifice Your Friends to Bears

Well, yeah. Read HERE.

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