In a chilling mystery that gripped a small Pennsylvania town, the unexplained deaths of multiple bears in a church parking lot leads investigators down an unexpected path, exposing a deadly botanical menace.
St. Monica’s Parish was thrust into the spotlight when the West Wyoming Borough Police Department was called to investigate the perplexing discovery of three bear cubs and their nearly 300-pound mother.
Deeming the animals’ deaths suspicious, the Pennsylvania Game Commission was called in to collaborate with local authorities. Despite an initial lack of visible bullet wounds or external trauma, the game commission sought the public’s help via social media to unravel the mystery surrounding the bears’ untimely demise.
Game Commission Northeast Region Law Enforcement Supervisor Mark Rutkowski said, “We consider the deaths of these bears highly suspicious. Toxicological testing will be performed in an attempt to determine a cause of death.” The investigation would ultimately uncover an unexpected culprit.
Taking to Facebook, the Pennsylvania Game Commission divulged that poisoning was the likely cause of death for the four bears. The animals were found in close proximity to a tree, with no indication of thrashing or stumbling nearby – a telltale sign of their sudden deaths.
The mother bear and one cub underwent a post-mortem examination and toxicological testing at the Penn State Animal Diagnostic Laboratory in State College. Through an analysis of their stomach contents, it was discovered that they had ingested leaves and seeds from an English yew (Taxus baccata) plant.
The English yew, characterized by its lance-shaped leaves and red berry-like structure, is a toxic plant often found in urban environments and cultivated as an ornamental shrub in eastern North America. Containing the alkaloid compound taxine, the yew is poisonous to most animals and humans upon ingestion. During winter months, the plant’s toxicity increases, becoming cardiotoxic and interfering with the heart’s normal function.
The game commission stated, “Organic chemical screens were performed on the stomach contents, liver, and kidneys of the bears to test for the presence of pesticides, euthanasia agents, and environmental contaminants. The results of these screens, as well as tests for the presence of ethylene glycol (a compound found in antifreeze) were all negative.”
Ultimately, the presence of English yew leaves and seeds in the bears’ stomachs led investigators to conclude that the animals had died from plant toxin poisoning, shedding light on a strange and heartrending story.
Sources: OpposingViews, West Wyoming Borough Police Department/Facebook, Pennsylvania Game Commission/Facebook (2)
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