Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US health secretary, has admitted to dumping a dead bear cub in Central Park 10 years ago as part of a prank that went horribly wrong. The bizarre incident occurred on October 5, 2014, when Kennedy stopped his van near an old bike in the Hudson Valley area with a plan to skin and butcher the bear, then store its meat in his refrigerator.
The bear's body was discovered by local park rangers on the morning of October 6, 2014. Kennedy claimed that he had placed the bear cub's corpse under a bush in Central Park as part of a stunt, with the intention of making it look like a cyclist hit and killed the animal. However, his plan went awry when the story of the dead baby black bear in Central Park made headlines, prompting a major law enforcement response.
According to newly obtained documents, Kennedy's actions left city employees dealing with the aftermath and lamenting the cub's short life and grim fate. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation closed its investigation into the death of the bear cub due to a lack of sufficient evidence but noted that it was likely killed by a car.
Kennedy has said that he found the bear cub in the Hudson Valley area on a road approaching Goshen, New York, and stopped his van there before continuing on to Peter Luger Steak House for dinner. However, he realized he didn't have time to drop off the bear at his Westchester home as planned.
It is unclear why Kennedy chose to dump the cub's body in Central Park instead of another location or if he had considered contacting authorities about the situation. The motivations behind Kennedy's actions remain unclear, but they highlight a concerning lack of regard for wildlife and public safety.
The bear's body was discovered by local park rangers on the morning of October 6, 2014. Kennedy claimed that he had placed the bear cub's corpse under a bush in Central Park as part of a stunt, with the intention of making it look like a cyclist hit and killed the animal. However, his plan went awry when the story of the dead baby black bear in Central Park made headlines, prompting a major law enforcement response.
According to newly obtained documents, Kennedy's actions left city employees dealing with the aftermath and lamenting the cub's short life and grim fate. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation closed its investigation into the death of the bear cub due to a lack of sufficient evidence but noted that it was likely killed by a car.
Kennedy has said that he found the bear cub in the Hudson Valley area on a road approaching Goshen, New York, and stopped his van there before continuing on to Peter Luger Steak House for dinner. However, he realized he didn't have time to drop off the bear at his Westchester home as planned.
It is unclear why Kennedy chose to dump the cub's body in Central Park instead of another location or if he had considered contacting authorities about the situation. The motivations behind Kennedy's actions remain unclear, but they highlight a concerning lack of regard for wildlife and public safety.