There they were 22-year-old Darsh Pateland four other men hiking in theApshawa Preserve, northwest of New York City, with a300-poundblack bear on their trail.When the five friends,all of Edison, N.J., noticed the bear in pursuit, they split up and ran. Four of them were able to find each other, but none could find Patel.They called police and, a few hours later, a search-and-rescue team located his body. The bear was less than 100 feet away, circling, West Milford police chief Timothy Storbeck told theAssociated Press. It was immediately euthanized, West Milford policesaid in a statement.This is a rare occurrence, Storbeck said.Its possible the bear was looking to attack but, more than likely, he was just looking for food,said Kelcey Burguess, principal biologist and leader of the state Division of Fish and Wildlifes black bear project. The hikers were carrying granola bars and water with them, Storbeck said.Or its possible the hikers showed their inexperience by running away a mistake.So what do you do if you come face-to-face with a black bear in the wild?1. Dont let it smell foodWildlife ecologist Graham Forbes toldCBC Newsthat hikers and campers should keep food, garbage and even bird food put away.Black bears can be dangerous if they have lost their fear of people, he said. They associate food with people and if theyve been trained as such by people not looking after their garbage, or theyve learned that food and humans are similar so its a good place to go look for food thats when a bear can be dangerous.2. Dont sneak up on a bearMake noise because it may keep a bear at bay, Forbes said. Bears have bad eyesight and may not see a camper until he is too close.But if a bearshows up, avoid looking it in the eye, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spokesmanLarry Ragonese said. Forbes advised putting something on the ground a jacket, a hat, a backpack to distract the bear.That might give you a chance to keep backing away, Forbes said.SPONSOR GENERATED CONTENTAdopter and adapter: The White House approach to technologyBy AudiPresidents use technology to shape their messaging to the public.READ MORE

3. Dont fake your deathBill Stiver, a wildlife biologist at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, toldABC Newsplaying dead only works with brown bears.Usually, if a black bear attacks you, its an offensive attack, he said.4. Dont try to run awayIt wont work.Stand your ground. You cant outrun a bear, Stiver said. Youre basically trying to show the bear youre not afraid of it.And running may only incite the bear.A lot of predators have an instinctual response that if something runs, theyll chase it, Forbes said.Forbes also noted that black bears are good bluffers. Theyre known for stomping their feet, threatening to charge and then retreating.Its hard to know, of course, if its going to stop or keep running, he told the CBC. If the bear charges, its best to fight back hard.5. Put up a good fightWave your arms, hold up your hands, try to appear as tall as possible. If youre in a group, stand together. Clap, yell and throw things.Youre trying to scare it away before it gets too close,Stiver told ABC News. Get a big stick, some rocks. Bang pots and pans.If the bear doesnt back off and worst-case scenario moves in for the attack, do everything you can to get that animal off you, Stiver said.Get physical. Punch and kick.Give it a kick, start swatting the best you can. Stand up tall,Forbes said. These sorts of things have been shown to work quite well.