Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is causing controversy once again after admitting to disposing of a dead bear carcass in New York’s Central Park ten years ago.
In a three-minute video shared on social media, the former environmental lawyer recounted the story to comedian Roseanne Barr about how a 2014 trip in upstate New York resulted in a dead bear ending up under a bush with a bike in the central Manhattan park.
Kennedy explained that he was driving to meet a group of people falconing in New York’s Hudson Valley when a woman in front of him accidentally hit a bear cub with her vehicle.
“So, I pulled over, picked up the bear, and put it in the back of my van because I planned to use the meat,” Kennedy said. “I was going to put it in my refrigerator as you can get a bear tag for roadkill bear in New York.”
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However, the bear never made it back to Kennedy’s home. He mentioned that after a long day of falconry followed by a dinner in the city that ran late, he realized he had to rush to catch a flight but still had the bear carcass in his possession.
“I didn’t want to leave the bear in the car, so I had an idea,” Kennedy explained. “I decided to place the bear in Central Park to make it look like it was hit by a bike.”
He added, “everybody thought it was a great idea!”
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The strange tale became national news the next day when the bear was discovered by dog walkers in New York City, with law enforcement taking the bike to check for fingerprints.
“I was concerned about my prints being on that bike,” Kennedy joked as others in the room laughed.
Despite the attention, the story faded away, resurfacing a decade later as Kennedy decided to disclose the incident ahead of an upcoming article in The New Yorker magazine.
“The New Yorker got wind of it and they’re going to feature it in a big article,” Kennedy mentioned in the video.
“Can’t wait to see the spin on this one, @NewYorker,” Kennedy captioned the video.
The New Yorker article was published the following day with the bear incident highlighted alongside a photo of Kennedy with his hand in the bear’s mouth.
“Maybe that’s where I got my brain worm,” he joked to the publication.
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Amid rumors of dropping out of the presidential race and considering endorsing former President Donald Trump, Kennedy clarified in a conversation with Scripps News that he is determined to stay in the campaign and win.
“Our momentum is strong, donations are up, and we have no plans to endorse any other candidate,” Kennedy affirmed.
Despite actively campaigning and holding events nationwide, Kennedy still faces challenges in national election polls as the election draws closer.
