Officials Now Know What Happened To 4
Bears Found Dead in Pennsylvania Likely Poisoned by Plant
In December 2016, four bears were found dead near a church in West Wyoming, Pennsylvania. The bodies of a mother bear, weighing nearly 300 pounds, and her three cubs were discovered near a tree in the parking lot of St. Monica’s Parish.
“There were no signs of bullet wounds or external trauma,” authorities noted, making the deaths seem suspicious. The Pennsylvania Game Commission launched an investigation and sent two of the bears to Penn State’s Animal Diagnostic Laboratory for examination.
Toxicology tests revealed that the bears had eaten parts of an English yew plant, including its leaves and seeds. The Game Commission explained, “Every species of yew contains the alkaloid compound taxine, which is toxic to most animals and humans if ingested.”
The English yew, commonly used as a decorative shrub in urban areas, becomes even more toxic in winter. The plant’s taxine compounds are “cardiotoxic, which impacts the heart’s ability to beat properly.”
