Pedals (bear) explained

Pedals
Species:American black bear (Ursus americanus)
Death Date:October 2016
Death Place:New Jersey
Known:Videos of the bear were posted on the internet
Residence:Oak Ridge, New Jersey

Pedals (died October 2016, New Jersey, United States) was an American black bear (Ursus americanus) that walked upright on its hind legs[1] because of injuries on its front paws.[2] After videos of the bear were posted on the internet, more than 300,000 people signed a petition to move the bear to a wildlife sanctuary. However, Pedals appears to have been one of hundreds of bears killed by bullets or arrows in October 2016 in New Jersey's first sanctioned bow-and-arrow hunt in four decades.

Fame

Pedals was first spotted walking upright in 2014 in Oak Ridge, New Jersey, spurring debate and discussions.[3] [4] Videos of Pedals' bipedal walking were posted to the internet and he was described as an "internet sensation". Officials initially warned that the videos might be a hoax.[5]

Over 300,000 people concerned with Pedals' welfare signed a petition written by Lisa Rose Rublack to relocate the bear to the Orphaned Wildlife Center in Otisville, New York.[6] [7] Supporters donated $22,000 to a fund created by Sabrina Pugsley to move the bear to the sanctuary to prevent it from struggling to survive in the wild.[8] New York officials opposed the transfer of Pedals to the sanctuary.

Pedals was being monitored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife, which asked residents to report sightings by calling a hotline[9] and announced in 2016 that the bear had not been seen since the previous Christmas.[10]

Death

Pedals' internet fame led Angi Metler, director of the Bear Education and Resource Group, to believe he would be targeted by bear hunters.[11] In October 2016, reports of Pedals being killed by a hunter received widespread attention.[12] On October 17, 2016, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced they believed Pedals had been killed during the officially sanctioned hunt.[13] The October 10–15 hunt was New Jersey's first sanctioned bow and arrow hunt since the 1960s.[13] During the hunt, which also permitted muzzle-loading rifles, a total of 562 bears were killed.[14]

In response to the killing, State Senator Raymond Lesniak introduced a bill dubbed "Pedals' Law" that would ban black bear hunting in New Jersey for five years.[15] [16]

In December 2016, a hunter filed a defamation lawsuit in Morris County Superior Court alleging he was falsely accused on social media of being Pedals' killer, suffered death threats, and had his personal information published.[17]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Pedals the Walking Bear Said to Be Killed by a Hunter in New Jersey . Stack . Liam . October 15, 2016 . The New York Times . 0362-4331. October 17, 2016.
  2. News: The Guardian . Pedals the bear, known for walking on hind legs, apparently killed by hunters . October 18, 2016 . Milman . Oliver . October 18, 2016 .
  3. News: Pedals, a bear that walks upright, is back — and so is the fight about helping him . The Washington Post . October 14, 2016.
  4. News: Debate in New Jersey: Is Bear That Walks Upright Suffering, or Thriving? . Foderaro . Lisa W. . August 18, 2016 . The New York Times . 0362-4331 . October 17, 2016.
  5. News: Footage of 'bear' walking upright in NJ may be hoax, expert warns . PIX11 . August 7, 2014 . October 18, 2016 . Tata, Samantha.
  6. National Geographic . The bear that walked like a human may have been killed by one . Clark Howard, B. . October 17, 2016 . October 18, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161019081435/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/pedals-bear-walked-upright-killed-by-hunter-new-jersey/. dead. October 19, 2016.
  7. News: Supporters of 'Pedals,' the injured walking bear, rally at Statehouse . NJ.com . November 10, 2015 . October 18, 2016 . Hutchinson, Dave.
  8. News: Pedals the black bear, known for walking upright, 'killed by hunter' . The Telegraph . October 16, 2016 . Lawler . David . October 16, 2016.
  9. News: 'Pedals,' the injured walking bear, alive and well, official says . NJ.com . December 28, 2015 . October 18, 2016 . Hutchinson, Dave.
  10. News: Beloved black bear named Pedals 'killed during New Jersey hunting season' . Eleftheriou-Smith, L. . October 17, 2016 . October 18, 2016 . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pedals-black-bear-new-jersey-upright-two-legs-walk-a7365936.html . May 25, 2022 . subscription . live . The Independent.
  11. Web site: APLNJ Staff . Animal Protection League of New Jersey . June 12, 2023.
  12. News: Facebook group for bipedal bear says 'Pedals is dead' in statement . COWEN . RICHARD . NorthJersey.com. October 14, 2016.
  13. News: Pedals the Walking Bear Is Dead, New Jersey Officials Believe . The New York Times . October 17, 2016 . October 18, 2016 . Stack, Liam.
  14. Web site: New Jersey's Black Bear Hunting Season . . November 1, 2016 . November 7, 2016.
  15. Web site: N.J. senator's 'Pedals' Law' would ban black bear hunting for five years; hearing today . Norman . Jim . October 17, 2016 . . October 18, 2016.
  16. News: Ensslin . John . Pedals Law: Bill would ban bear hunt for 5 years . Daily Record . Gannett New Jersey . October 17, 2016.
  17. News: Hunter Says He Was Falsely Accused of Killing Pedals the Bear, Files Lawsuit . December 8, 2016 . Wall Street Journal . December 12, 2016.

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