Watch a Bear Fight Spill Into a New Jersey Street Like a Bar Brawl

Key Points:

• The state of New Jersey has 3,000 black bears distributed across all 23 counties.
• Bears usually fight each other over mates or territory.
• Due to the loss of habitat – bears are becoming more common in neighborhoods – just like coyotes.

While New Jersey is known for a lot of unusual occurrences, it’s not often a hotbed of crazy wildlife interactions.

The issue of a growing population of black bears in New Jersey is often solved by hunting the bears, moving the bears, and educating people on how to safely coexist with bears. Yet, nothing can prepare a resident of the Garden State for a knock-down, drag-out brawl like the one in this video. Here, two black bears brawl in someone’s front yard, and we have several minutes of valuable footage to watch about it!

The incredibly shaky video starts off with the slightly larger of the two bears biting the other on the neck. Before long, it shoves the other one down a slope, causing it to tumble. The two bears clash at the bottom of the hill, the original aggressor pinning the other on its back.

However, the other bear manages to get up and resume the fight on even footing. They continue to bite and wrestle, breathing heavily enough that it can be heard from a long distance away. The two black bears brawl sending the smaller of the two tumbling down another hill. The two creatures take a breather and reevaluate the situation.

The Two Black Bears’ Battle Takes Over a Neighborhood

However, they get back to the fight bite getting in each other’s faces with their mouths open and teeth bared. The smaller of the two bears attack the larger bear that has the high ground. The fight finally spills into the street where the combatants stand, bite, and wrestle.

The person filming from inside their car drops the camera for a moment while the bears run back to the side of the street. Once the camera refocuses, one of the bears pins the other on its back. They once again take a breather since they’re clearly winded from the battle. Another car stops down the road and takes a look or pictures.

The one bear that was pinned turns the tables, holding down the other bear. They tussle and roll around on the ground some more. Eventually, the other bear finds its footing and the two continue to stare at each other. The two black bears’ brawl seems to have run its course. Both bears are out of steam, and neither of them has done enough damage to one other to be called the winner of the bout.

Both of them are missing some fur, but no fatal wounds have been dealt. Whatever the fight was about, nothing was solved here. The video ends with the two bears staring at each other, panting. The fight could have started up after the filming stops. However, we don’t know any more information about what happened after this battle. It could have resumed just as easily as the battle could have ended with the bears walking away.

As to the cause, some people suggested that it was a territorial dispute. Yet, we’ll never know what prompted this incredible battle in the suburbs to happen.

Is it Normal for Black Bears to Fight Each Other?

Yes, black bears do fight each other and when times are rough – even turn to cannibalism. It is unusual for them to come to blows in a populous neighborhood! Bears usually fight in an attempt to show dominance in disputes over territory and to attract a mate. Female bears are often forced to fight males coming for their cubs. As bears are forced to live among people due to habitat loss – people need to be prepared to co-exist – meaning get used to it and stay out of the way.

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