NJ Cops Shoot Bear That Ate Pet Rabbit

MYFOXNY.COM - When Joe McCabe saw a 400-pound black bear in his backyard in Denville, N.J., he called his daughter to come take a look -- until he saw what it was up to. The bear was feasting on Blackie, the family pet rabbit. The rabbit had been roaming free in the screened porch and didn't stand a chance against a hungry predator.

Once police got the call that a bear breached a home, it became a goner, too. Cops responding to the call tracked the bear to a tree near the McCabes' home and shot it.

It took 5 rounds before the bear came crashing out of this tree and died. McCabe himself is a hunter and could face a fine for not securing his garbage, which could attract bears.

The Department of Environmental Protection said that bears are known to look for food in residential areas.

"These things do occur from time to time, especially when bears are looking for food," said DEP's Darlene Yuhas, in a statement. "During the colder months bears have difficulty finding their natural prey so they go after small animals, livestock, and sometimes garbage. We consider this a serious incident and when bears break into homes or garages and prey on small animals, they are destroyed; and that is what happened in this particular incident."

The bear was so big, authorities had to drag it to the front of the home and use a backhoe to remove it. But they know there will be even more bear visitors come spring.

McCabe's daughter now refuses to sleep alone knowing this wasn't the first bear they've seen from home and won't be the last.