NEW YORK (AP) — The bear cub found dead in Central Park this week was likely hit by a motor vehicle.
State wildlife officials announced the animal’s cause of death Tuesday after performing a necropsy.
The lifeless black cub was spotted a day earlier under a bush by two women walking their dogs near West 69th Street and West Drive.
At first, authorities suspected animal cruelty played a part.
But after lab tests, the state Department of Environmental Conservation determined the cause of death was blunt trauma consistent with a vehicle collision.
State wildlife health officials say the cub was a female, about six months old and weighing 44 pounds.
Authorities don’t know how the bear ended up in Central Park and they’re still investigating.
Bears are not among the park’s known wildlife population.
