Bear thought to be ‘scavenging’ human remains in Tennessee wasn’t bear, officials say
Wildlife officials now say there’s no sign of a bear in the area where a Tennessee man was found dead Tuesday.
Campbell County authorities launched an investigation after deputies reportedly discovered a bear eating human remains in the backyard of a home where they were conducting a wellness check.
Deputies arrived to the home near Jellico just after midnight Tuesday when they made the discovery, WVLT-TV reported, citing Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officials.
Based on “the advanced state of decomposition,” officials believe the person had been dead for several weeks before early reports that a bear was seen “scavenging” the remains, a TWRA spokesperson told McClatchy News. Officials said it’s likely several animals scavenged the victim’s remains but said they found no evidence of a bear in the area.
The victim’s identity hasn’t been released
“The death is under investigation and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office will continue to assist the [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] during the investigative process,” Campbell County Sheriff Robbie Goins said, according to WBIR. “If more information becomes available, we will make an additional release.”
The sheriff’s office said someone filed a report for a missing person in the area about three weeks ago.
Wildlife officials set up a bear trap on Wednesday in hopes of catching the animal, the news station reported.
The body was taken in for an autopsy.
Authorities declined to give further information, citing the ongoing investigation.
The incident comes two weeks after a bear was seen “scavenging in the area” where backpackers found a man’s remains scattered near a campsite in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, McClatchy News previously reported. The hikers quickly notified park rangers, who later identified the man as 43-year-old Patrick Madura of Illinois.
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Bear thought to be ‘scavenging’ human remains in Tennessee wasn’t bear, officials say."