Story perspectives

Health Secretary Admits to Bear Cub Cover-Up

1/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On August 4, 2024, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted to dumping a dead bear cub in Central Park ten years prior to mislead about its death.
This revelation addressed a long-standing mystery regarding the bear's presence in Manhattan.
Documents obtained by WIRED from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation include emails and previously unseen images related to the incident.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation closed its investigation in 2014 due to insufficient evidence of legal violations.
The bear's remains were sent to a state lab near Albany for inspection.

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Story summary

On August 4, 2024, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted to dumping a dead bear cub in Central Park ten years prior to mislead about its death.
This revelation addressed a long-standing mystery regarding the bear's presence in Manhattan.
Documents obtained by WIRED from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation include emails and previously unseen images related to the incident.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation closed its investigation in 2014 due to insufficient evidence of legal violations.
The bear's remains were sent to a state lab near Albany for inspection.