Severed bear head found in tree at city park sparks mystery, California officials say

A bear head was found sitting on a tree in a city park — and officials don’t know how it got there.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating after a severed bear head was found Oct. 29 in Stockton, ABC 10 reported. The head was propped in a tree at Louis Park, according to KCRA.

“At first I wasn’t sure if it was real, but then I saw the flies buzzing around. It smelled like death,” John Perrin, who noticed the bear, told ABC 10. “There really aren’t even bears in Stockton, like there’s no reason for that bear head to be there.”

The Stockton Police Department responded Oct. 29 to reports of the bear head, according to KOVR. Fish and Wildlife officials told the news outlet they don’t know where the head came from or if the bear was poached.

The person who left the bear head in the tree could be facing at least one criminal charge for leaving an animal carcass in a public place, KCRA reported. They could be fined at least $250, according to ABC 10.

“I thought it was a cat, but it wasn’t a cat,” Gabriel Garcia, another person who saw the bear, told KOVR. “When I walked up, you could smell it was dead.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2021 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Severed bear head found in tree at city park sparks mystery, California officials say."