Thank you for keeping our petition active for NJ black bears. Please keep the signatures coming. We would like to run this billboard very soon, but we need your help. To donate, please visit www.SaveNJBears.com and click “donate”. Please share with your animal protection friends. All donations are secure and tax-deductible. Thank you! The bear billboard is a powerful way to get our message out to thousands of people daily. We want all bears to experience the life that Samantha did. Please read about Samantha below. Samantha (1981–2012), a beloved New Jersey black bear will always be remembered. Her bright eyes and her gentle ways will be missed. In 1981, a black bear, later named Samantha, was born in Wawayanda State Park. The little bear was seen walking with her mother, climbing trees, and feeding on acorns. A homeowner whose house borders Wawayanda noticed the little bear sleeping in a tree in her front yard. Innocently, the family began putting out apples for the bear. When, from time to time, the bear came back for the apples, the family named her Samantha. This was the beginning of a special relationship and bond the Kehoe family shared with Samantha. Right from the start, Samantha was teaching her human family about black bears. The Kehoe's learned first-hand about the black bear's timid and gentle nature. They also witnessed bluff charges if they got too close. Samantha visited only a few times each year, preferring to spend most of her time deep in the woods, eating natural food. During these visits, Susan Kehoe started a photographic biography of Samantha's life. From 1995 to 2000, Samantha was our educational mascot. Her face donned the covers of newsletters, lawn signs and ads. In 2000, when the first official hunt was proposed by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, we stopped using Samantha's image — in order to protect her. Samantha lived her entire life as nature intended, free from the violence of hunting. She lived in the deep woods of Wawayanda State Park, among the glacial rocks and steep ridges. She was an amazing ambassador for bears. She was timid and gentle. She held onto her territory and was a good mother. Samantha was loved by the many humans who had the opportunity and delight to know her in her natural habitat. She passed away in February of 2012 at 31 years old. In the wild, the lifespan of a black bear is from 25 to 30 years old. Today, the trophy hunt makes it unlikely for most of New Jersey's black bears to reach old age. Our Bear Smart Community outreach program educates New Jersey residents about bears and fosters a peaceful coexistence and replaces fear with respect and understanding. It is our hope that all bears live out their natural life span as Samantha did, in harmony with people. http://www.savenjbears.com/samantha.php http://www.savenjbears.com/ Thank you for your support and dedication to our bears! Kimberly NJ Bear Group Volunteer