A pair of hikers who stumbled upon a dead black bear in a garbage bag pulled the first thread that unraveled a mystery.
Sonia Nayar, her son, and their dog were hiking near their home in Virginia in early June when they came across a grisly scene.
"There was … a strong smell and there were flies. A lot of flies," Nayar told WUSA. "My dog just went directly to the bag."
The discovery was shocking and flabbergasting. Nayar called the police, and the Animal Welfare League of Arlington and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources investigated.
It turned out that Virginia Department of Transportation contractors had picked up the deceased bear, which had been hit by a vehicle on Interstate 66 in Prince William County, more than 25 miles away. Instead of taking it to a landfill that disposes of animal carcasses, they threw it off the side of the highway in Arlington, according to multiple outlets, including The Washington Post.
"All of us here at AWLA are very frustrated by the outcome of this situation," spokesperson Chelsea Jones said, per Fox 5. "We know that the workers and the contractors who do this job know what they are supposed to do with animals when they are found deceased on the side of the road and so the situation that we find ourselves in is disappointing."
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The contracting company, Webber, took responsibility for the illegal dumping, with a spokesperson calling it "a mistake." They told the Post that employees would "receive the retraining they may need."
Criminal charges could be filed as well, according to reports.
The strange event highlights the need for people to respect the natural world. Rules are in place to avoid such situations, which can spread disease and create other health hazards and unsafe conditions. Generations before us have worked to preserve wildlife and green spaces so we and future outdoors lovers can enjoy what has thrived on Earth for thousands of years.
"We need to be grateful for the biodiversity we have here and we need to respect and protect our animals," Nayar told the Post. "I was impressed by the amount of people who showed that they care. Now that this happened, maybe we shouldn't let the same thing happen again."
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