An Indian-origin student in the US took photos of a bear while hiking in a US preserve before it mauled him to death, media reported.

Darsh Patel, a Rutgers University student, and four others were being followed by the black bear in the West Milford Apshawa preserve, New Jersey. But moments after Patel used his mobile phone to capture images of the animal, it attacked and killed him, New York Daily News reported Tuesday.

The five friends had been hiking Sep 21 when they met at the preserve’s entrance a man and a woman who advised them to turn around as a bear was on the loose, authorities said.

But the group went on, and Patel took photos from a distance of about 100 feet. Another hiker took one photo.

The group turned and began walking away, but the bear followed, police said. When it got within about 15 feet, the five split up and took off running. Four of them escaped and made a 911 emergency call.

Patel was last seen climbing a rock with the bear close behind. He screamed for the others to keep going. Rescuers found the body two hours later.

It was the first killing by a bear in New Jersey since the 1850s, authorities said.

Donate To The Indian Sun

Dear Reader,

The Indian Sun is an independent organisation committed to community journalism. We have, through the years, been able to reach a wide audience especially with the growth of social media, where we also have a strong presence. With platforms such as YouTube videos, we have been able to engage in different forms of storytelling. However, the past few years, like many media organisations around the world, it has not been an easy path. We have a greater challenge. We believe community journalism is very important for a multicultural country like Australia. We’re not able to do everything, but we aim for some of the most interesting stories and journalism of quality. We call upon readers like you to support us and make any contribution. Do make a DONATION NOW so we can continue with the volume and quality journalism that we are able to practice.

Thank you for your support.

Best wishes,
Team The Indian Sun