Authorities Have Determined The Circumstances Surrounding The Discovery Of Four Deceased Bears Outside A Church…

Note: This story, originally reported in December 2016, is being republished.

The cause of death of several bears discovered in a Pennsylvania church parking lot has been disclosed.

The West Wyoming Borough Police Department responded to St. Monica’s Parish after the discovery of three deceased bear cubs and their nearly 300-pound mother, as stated in a Facebook post by the department.

The authorities involved, including the Pennsylvania Game Commission, deemed the deaths of the animals suspicious.

The commission sought public assistance via Facebook to investigate the incident further.

No evidence of gunshot wounds or external injuries was found on the bears.

Mark Rutkowski, Law Enforcement Supervisor of the Game Commission’s Northeast Region, expressed suspicion over the bears’ deaths and mentioned plans for toxicological testing to ascertain the cause.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission later announced on Facebook that the likely cause of death for the bears was poisoning.

All four bears were found deceased near the same tree without signs of distress, suggesting sudden death.

Post-mortem examinations and toxicological testing conducted at the Penn State Animal Diagnostic Laboratory revealed that the mother bear and a cub had ingested leaves and seeds of an English yew plant.

The English yew, commonly found in urban areas, contains taxine, a toxic compound harmful to animals and humans if ingested. Its toxicity increases during winter months and affects the heart’s function.

Tests for other toxins and contaminants yielded negative results, confirming that the bears’ deaths were due to plant toxin poisoning.

Sources: West Wyoming Borough Police Department/Facebook, Pennsylvania Game Commission/Facebook (2)