NC Wildlife Commission investigating dead, mutilated bears in Woodfin

WOODFIN – The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is investigating after three mutilated bear carcasses were found in Woodfin.

The bears’ “paws were removed and left on scene” and “there was a bucket present with bear entrails inside,” Wildlife Commission spokesperson Mindy Wharton said in an email to the Citizen Times on Dec. 1. The bears were so deteriorated and dismembered that the agency could not confirm their weight, meaning it was unclear if they were adults or cubs, she said.

The carcasses were found on private property, Wharton said. 

“Our officers were notified of the situation and visited the scene yesterday (Nov. 30),” she said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

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