Dead Bear Illegally Dumped After Being Struck By Vehicle On I-66: AWLA

ARLINGTON, VA — Workers for a company contracted with the Virginia Department of Transportation were found to be responsible for illegally dumping the dead bear found inside a plastic bag on the Custis Memorial Trail in Arlington on Friday night, according to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources notified AWLA around 3:30 p.m. on Monday that the company had contacted the state agency and taken responsibility for the incident. The workers were not VDOT employees.

"They stated that the bear had been struck by a vehicle on I-66 in Prince William County, and then workers transported the bear to Arlington and illegally dumped the bear over an overpass onto the Custis Memorial Trail," AWLA said, in a release.

AWLA and DWR are working together to determine what charges if any will be filed in the case.

On Monday morning, AWLA spokeswoman Cheslea Jones told Patch that they were still waiting on a forensics report from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, which would hopefully shed light on the cause of the bear's death and circumstances surrounding its apparent disposal. She added that AWLA has not yet received any tips concerning the bear.

After a black bear was reported in the Yorktown area last month, AWLA monitored its movement in the county and advised residents to avoid interacting with the animal.

"We tend to have about one of these a year," Jones said, at the time. "It's the time of year for the yearlings to be leaving their their moms and going out to find their own territory. Basically, our animal control is just keeping a close eye on his location and tracking and while he makes his way, wherever he's going, out of Arlington. He's not going to stay here."

An Arlington resident who was walking their dog with their son on a trail in the North Highlands area on Friday discovered a large plastic bag containing a dead bear, according to a post on the Neighbors app.

“I was walking with my son and dog on a trail near our home in Arlington,” in the North Highlands neighborhood west of Rosslyn, the Neighbors post said, according to ARLNow. “My dog got close to a big black trash bag and I noticed a bad smell and a lot of flies. I got a little closer and I saw hair and what looks like an ear. It looks like a bear’s ear.”

On Saturday, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington released the following statement:

"At approximately 8:30 pm on Friday, May 31, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s Animal Control was dispatched to the area of Spout Run Parkway near N. Adams Street for a suspected deceased dog in a plastic bag near a walking trail. Upon arrival, Deputy Swetnam identified the animal as an adult black bear. Our Chief of Animal Control Jennifer Toussaint was dispatched to the scene as well as a Conservation Police Officer from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to support Deputy Swetnam."

When the discovery of the dead bear was reported on Friday night, AWLA contacted the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, which sent a conservation police officer to the scene. Following an examination there, the officer assisted AWLA in the removal of the bear.

Related:

Bear Visits Arlington; Bring Trash Indoors, Leash Your Pets