Mystery Black Bear Cub Found Dead In Staten Island: Report

NEW YORK CITY — He's more mysterious than the average bear.

A black bear cub was found dead in a Staten Island parking lot Monday, PIX11 first reported.

The four-legged discovery prompted an investigation because — as Staten Islanders know — there's no known bear population in the borough.

PIX11 reported the bear was found Monday morning in a Richmond Hill Road parking lot for a strip mall. The bear had a large gash on one side, according to the report.

Several local residents offered PIX11 their speculations as to how the bear got to Staten Island, ranging from it swimming under the bridge to an exotic pet. A New Jersey wildlife sanctuary worker told PIX11 the bear was likely killed in the Garden State or Pennsylvania and dumped in Staten Island for unknown reasons.

The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation took possession of the dead bear and will take it to a lab to find its cause of death, PIX11 reported.

Read the full PIX11 report here.