Things got wild in the front yard of a New Jersey home last week when two huge black bears swatted, bit and wrestled each other on their hind legs as the astonished residents watched the fierce fight.

“When I went out to look, I actually heard the bears’ jaws hitting together as they were fighting and growling at each other,” said Corey Bale, who recorded the bear brawl outside his house in Frankford Township, Sussex County.

Bale said he believes the tussle might have been over a female bear hiding behind his shed. He caught the bear fight in action after his neighbor told him a bear was behind his home near his son’s play yard and he went outside to investigate. Once he stepped on his back deck, he heard the commotion out front, he said.

Bale watched the bears do battle for about a minute with his father. The bears eventually ran off across the street.

But Bale said he knew it was serious from the chunks of bear hair covered in blood he found left in the yard.

He shared a video of the bear fight on Facebook, where’s it’s racked up 390,000 views and nearly 7,000 shares.

As a native of Sussex County, Bale said he’s used to seeing bears, but remains cautious, especially as mating season ramps up.

As warm weather approaches, the state Department of Environmental Protection warns the public about interacting with bears.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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