A 300-pound bear was caught in a photo in New Jersey by a Rutgers student, just minutes before it mauled him to death and gouged the phone he used to take the photos, Fox News reported on Wednesday.
Darsh Patel, 22, was with friends in the Apshawa Preserve in September when he was attacked by the bear. He became the first person in New Jersey to be killed by a bear.
Six photos taken just before the attack were released by West Milford police, most of which were taken by the student before the bear chased him down.
The male bear first approached about 100 feet away from the group near a fallen tree. He appears to get closer and closer as Patel took the pictures.
The young adventurers caught the bear's attention by taking picture in the woods, according to a police reported.
"They stopped and took photographs of the bear with their cellphones and the bear began walking towards them," the police report said.
As they tried to walk away, the bear started following them within 15 feet of the group. When the four others regrouped, they noticed that Patel was missing and called the police, according to the New York Post.
Two hours later, Patel's body was found with the bear nearby. Police shot and killed the bear, and a necropsy showed that it had recently eaten human blood and tissue as well as clothing.
