Authorities believe they know how a bear found in a trash bag in Arlington died.
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington released a statement (below) Monday evening saying the bear was struck by a driver on I-66 in Prince William County, then transported to Arlington and illegally dumped.
At approximately 3:30 PM this afternoon, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) was notified by the Department of Wildlife Resources that a company contracted by the Virginia Department of Transportation (not VDOT employees) took responsibility for the incident. They stated that they were called to the scene for a bear that had been struck by a vehicle on I-66 in Prince William County, and workers transported the bear to Arlington and illegally dumped the bear over an overpass onto the Custis Memorial Trail.
The dead bear was discovered by a woman who was walking her dog near Spout Run, north of Courthouse and adjacent to I-66.
The Animal Welfare League says it “is working with the Department of Wildlife Resources to determine if charges will be filed for this egregious behavior.”
A spokesperson noted that “as far as we understand the contracting company DID NOT hit the bear — they were called out to retrieve a dead bear that they believed was struck by a car.” An earlier version of this article suggested that the driver was associated with the contractor.
