A series of photos found on a deceased New Jersey hiker's cellphone shows his activity just moments before he was killed.

Police in West Milford have released five of the images taken by Darsh Patel just before he was killed by a 300-pound black bear in the Apshawa Preserve, about 45 miles northwest of New York, ABC News reports. The 22-year-old was hiking with four friends when the attack occurred. He was mauled by a black bear in September, and photos of the animal found on his camera phone show how near he was to the animal before it attacked him.

Patel was a Rutgers University student who had been hiking with his group when they met a man and woman in the preserve who warned them that a bear was on the loose. Authorities said the couple advised the five friends to turn around, NY Daily News reports.

However, the group pressed on, and when they encountered the animal, Patel snapped pictures from only about 100 feet away, judging by the photos. Another hiker in the group took a picture as well.

When the group turned and began to walk away, the bear followed them. Once it got as close as about 15 feet, the five decided to split up and took off running to distract it. Four of them escaped, and they immediately called 911.

Patel was last seen climbing a rock with the bear close behind him, but he screamed for the others to keep going.

The photos show the bear standing behind a fallen tree in the woods. Authorities said the phone was discovered with puncture mark damage, presumably from the bear's teeth or claws.

ABC News reports police from West Milford and the state's Environmental Protection Department said last month that it appeared the bear did not seem interested in food, but rather exhibited a "stalking type [of] behavior."

The pictures were only released after NJ.com filed an open records request.

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