NC Police: Dead Bear With Obama Signs Just A Prank

CULLOWHEE, N.C. — Authorities said Tuesday that a student prank, not a political statement, was the motivation for dumping a dead bear cub draped in Barack Obama signs on a North Carolina campus earlier this week.

Seven Western Carolina University students were involved, and possible charges were being discussed with the local prosecutor, said Campus Police Chief Tom Johnson. Police did not release the students' names.

The students told authorities they took political signs at random to cover the bear's wound and prevent blood from spilling into the bed of the truck they were driving.

They discovered a carcass of the cub, which had been shot in the head, while camping over the weekend and brought it back to a gathering at an apartment near campus Sunday night, according to a statement from the school.

It was during that gathering, officials said, that a student suggested placing the bear at the base of a statue at the main entrance to the campus.

Maintenance workers found the bear cub's body early Monday morning near the school's entrance.

"I am pleased to hear that this situation appears to be a stupid prank," Western Carolina chancellor John W. Bardo said.

Comments

[janedarcy]

12:30 PM on 10/23/2008

sick

[thebluecrayon]

01:36 AM on 10/23/2008

Sounds like they're trying to sweep this under the rug. The explanation does not pass muster. If they just grabbed the signs to protect their truck, then why didn't they take the signs off once they dumped the bear? What was the point of the prank if not election-related? Was it supposed to be "funny" to place a dead animal in the middle of campus?

And btw, sign stealing is also a crime. Aside from that though, this story is just really horrible on many levels and I don't think it should be labelled as a "prank" no matter what.

[HyperInfluential]

02:19 AM on 10/25/2008

I completely agree! When the word "carcass" comes into play, it stops being a prank. Carcasses also do not continue to bleed a "weekend" after they've been shot. This entire story does not hold up in any way. Some of these students must be important people's children.

[eduvert]

08:51 PM on 10/22/2008

I posted an earlier comment re: emailing the National Wildlife Service's forensic lab. The director responded quite nicely and is forwarding my email to resident agents in NC. The address in NC is U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Office of Law Enforcement
P.O. Box 33096
Raleigh, NC 27636
The phone # is 919-856-4786 and violations can be reported by email to [e-mail].
Please contact Mr. Huggins and let him know politely how you see what was done to the bear cub.
Thank you.

[ivoteforsmartpeople]

07:18 PM on 10/22/2008

It IS bear hunting season and it is legal to kill any bear over 50 lbs.

This is a cover-up anyway!

[RobinSeattle]

07:02 PM on 10/22/2008

With the ability to bs like that, you can expect these guys to end up hosting Fox News programs.

[exxonmobil4prez]

06:05 PM on 10/22/2008

So they had obama signs in the back of their car? Ripping off folks signs also?

[NationalTreasure]

06:03 PM on 10/22/2008

It is not bear hunting season and that incident was not a prank it was a felony and should be prosecuted as such.

[ohmetoo]

06:08 PM on 10/22/2008

Yep!

By the by what happened to my comment and why did it disappear? To close to the truth????

[ohmetoo]

06:00 PM on 10/22/2008

What happened to my comment, too close to the point for you????

[PeterGSW]

05:30 PM on 10/22/2008

This story doesn't pass the smell test. The national SPCA should get involved and bring some forensic mojo with them.

[bettybp]

05:07 PM on 10/22/2008

Prank? And it's supposed to be FUNNY? Yeah, you betcha' what a giant HOOT! And it was wrapped in Obama signs? What, there's no McCain signs in North Carolina?

[mistlesuede]

05:00 PM on 10/22/2008

Probably a bunch of rich spoiled brats that had their parents call the college and "fix" the problem with the police.
Who in their right mind would believe the made up story they used to cover their racist and hateful activities? I know when I'm camping I see all kinds of bears with their brains blown out? Sometimes I feel I just want to pick one up and bring it back for someone to see? Then instead of old newspapers or garbage bags or a box, I feel it's best to take political yard signs off of certain yards that only say Obama/Biden on them and use them to line the bed of my truck? If you are camping, there aren't homes around with yard signs on them. You're in a park.
Disgusting story compounded with disgusting lies and a useless police department that doesn't want to stop their coffee break to do a real investigation.

[thebluecrayon]

01:41 AM on 10/23/2008

You nailed it. There are so many logistical holes in this story. How did they manage to get Obama signs in the woods to guard their truck? Did they have the signs beforehand? Did they drive out of the woods, grab the signs, drive back to the woods, get the bear, drive back to campus? Lies start to make the head hurt.

[Owlygirl]

04:55 PM on 10/22/2008

That poor bear cub. People are sick effers. I'm so tired of cruelty towards people and defenseless animals. This story pisses me off in a multitude of ways.

[jackie4444]

04:47 PM on 10/22/2008

Sounds a bit like a NC university (and tourism bureau and AG office) looking to put a little lipstick on a pig. And if the bear was already dead when put in the truck, why, pray tell, would he still be bleeding
from a gunshot wound?

[grizhead63]

04:39 PM on 10/22/2008

Sound more and more like the coverup of a federal hate crime to me. Guess we'll have to wait for the new Department of Justice coming in January.

[deliriousgod]

04:35 PM on 10/22/2008

dead carcasses don't 'spill blood'. you have to have a pulse to have bleeding.

[thebluecrayon]

01:28 AM on 10/23/2008

That's a really great (but frightening) point.