Pedals the bear, who has enraptured New Jersey residents over the last few years by walking upright much like a human (possibly due to an injured front paw), has reportedly been killed by hunters during New Jersey’s 5-day hunting season. The beloved bear was feared dead after New Jersey’s division of Fish and Wildlife confirmed an injured bear was brought in to be weighed by a hunter earlier this week.
After various reports, Lisa Rose-Rublack, who recently raised $20,000 to get Pedals to a sanctuary, made the sad announcement confirming the news on Pedals’ Facebook page:
Sadly, this comes just days after many animal rights activists were working to get him in a sanctuary for the winter:
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Now, after hearing of his death, the internet is collectively up in arms:
RIP PEDALS! May you fly amongst the Angels! Your death will not be in vain, we will put an END to bear hunting! 🙏🌍💞 #JusticeForPedals #WAN pic.twitter.com/dO13lCRdeU
— World Animal News (@WorldAnimalNews) October 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/kadihughes/status/787462533116493824
Pedals the Bear, a beast executed for daring to feign humanity
— maxgrobinson.bsky.social (@DieRobinsonDie) October 16, 2016
i want to fight the guy who killed pedals the bear
— bunny (@kerrrybramley) October 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/teenagesleuth/status/787320833559539713
https://twitter.com/TheBardockObama/status/787071576260784128
https://twitter.com/sexualjumanji/status/787026967484780545
https://twitter.com/EvoAuxilium/status/787468115474952192
https://twitter.com/kylefc21/status/787469852864675841
The hunters, meanwhile, have been mocking those mourning the bear’s possible death.
Northjersey.com reported:
“I’m sitting here in tears over Petals death,” a poster who calls himself Haskell_Hunter wrote on the NJ Woods and Water website. “Tears from laughing at all those comments. This is why I left Facebook never to go back. It’s group think at its worst.”
“Most antis are complete idiots, so this shouldn’t be news.”
But Pedals supporters have taken the high road:
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(Via The New York Times)