Wildlife officials in Pennsylvania have identified a common yet highly poisonous shrub as the one that killed a family of bears in a church parking lot earlier this month.
Officers from the West Wyoming Police Department received reports of a dead bear cub found at a local parking lot on Dec. 6. When they arrived at the scene, they found four dead bears instead of just one, all of which showed no apparent signs of trauma.
The police department said that it considered the death of the bears as suspicious at the time.
To find out what could have killed the animals, wildlife officials sent two of the dead bears to the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University for testing.
Four Bears Poisoned By Common Shrub
Following the laboratory tests, officials discovered that the animals were killed not by human interference but by ingesting a poisonous shrub known as an English Yew.
The four bears — a bear sow and her three cubs — could have eaten leaves and seeds of the plant, which is known to be very poisonous to humans and animals alike.
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), the English Yew (Taxus baccata) is a species of conifer native to Africa, Europe, and southwest Asia. While the plant can grow up to 30 feet in height, it is often pruned into various sizes and configurations.
English Yew As Ornamental Shrub
In eastern North America, the English Yew can be found in urban environments, mostly used as an ornamental shrub in gardens. The plant's relatively long life and ability to grow on different soil types make it an ideal choice for topiaries or hedges.
The PGC, however, warned that all species of the plant have an alkaloid compound known as taxine, which has been proven to be fatal if ingested. Animals that have single-chambered stomachs are particularly susceptible to the toxin's effects.
The game commission believes that the bear sow and her cubs may have been attracted to the yew just when the plant reached its highest toxin levels and no other food sources were available to them at the time.
Bears Going Into Hibernation
Mark Ternent, a bear biologist for the PGC, explained that black bears often feed the most when they are about to go into hibernation to build their body fat. This would allow them to last all through the winter.
It is likely that the bear sow and her cubs were about to enter hibernation, which is why they went out to forage for food.
While wildlife officials have encountered bears that have died from unusual causes before, the PGC said this could be the first involving the poisonous shrub.
"This unfortunate occurrence was extremely rare and one we hope will not be repeated," Ternent said.
