Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s Story of the Bike and the Black Bear in Central Park
On August 4th, 2024, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. revealed in a video on X, that he was the individual responsible for leaving the now infamous dead black bear in Central Park; discovered underneath an abandoned bicycle, back in 2014. What was intended to be a practical joke, has remained an unsolved mysery for almost a decade. Now, the undeniably hilarious story is told first-hand by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., himself. Kennedy explained that he was taking a group of people falconing in Hudson Valley, New York and planned on meeting the group early in the morning; however had witnessed a woman hit a bear cub in the road. So Kennedy pulled over and picked up the dead bear and put him in the back of his van. Kennedy stated that New York State allows for a “bear tag” for a “road kill bear,” assured Kennedy. Next, Kennedy continued to go hawking with his group, and left the young bear in his van. Kennedy stayed late with his group and caught a lot of game. Then Kennedy realized he had a dinner plans in Brooklyn at Peter Luger Steak House; and could not make it home to drop of the bear.
To clarify the purpose of the bear, Kennedy stated that he planned on using the bear for fur and meat; rather than let its life be a waste. The bear was already dead. Historically, this practice has been conducted since the Fall of man. After Adam disobeyed his Father’s warning not to eat from the tree of knowledge of the good and evil, his disappointment, God crafted clothing from animal skin for Adam and Eve. Genesis reads that “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them,” Genesis 3:21, NASB). Since the beginning of time, man has utilized animals for fur. Despite many individual’s contemporary compassion for animals they are created to serve purpose for us. We ought not abuse them by any form, as they are made to be not only food and clothing; but for some species to be our companions.
Kennedy next headed to Peter Luger Steak House to have dinner with friends, before his flight. Kennedy believed there would be enough time between dinner and the airport to head home and preserve the bear. There was not. By the time Kennedy finished dinner, he realized that he would have to hurry to make his flight at the airport. There would not be enough time for him to go home and properly store and preserve the bear. So, instead of going home to store the bear, Kennedy and his group devised a backup plan: they would play a practical joke on the city of New York.
The Plan
Kennedy reports that in 2014 there had been a series of bicycle accidents in New York, as they had just put in the bike lanes. Some people were killed, cited Kennedy. Tired of seeing the city do nothing to reduce the danger posed to bikers; Kennedy decided to take matters into his own hands. Kennedy notes that at the time, he had an old bike in his car that someone had asked him to get rid of. His idea, alongside his friends, was “[l]et’s go put the bear in Central park and we’ll make it look like he got hit by a bike. It would be funny for people” (X). Kennedy added “[e]verybody thought that’s a great idea. So we went and did that,” (X). Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. believed that it would be amusing for whoever found the bear.
The next day, Kennedy recalls, “it was like on every television station. It was the front page of every paper. And I turned on the TV and it was like a mile of yellow tape and there were twenty cop cars. There were helicopters flying over it. And I was like ‘oh my God. What did I do?’ (X). Kennedy adds that “[t]here was some people on TV in Tyvek suits with gloves on lifting up the bike and they’re saying they’re gonna take this up to Albany to get it fingerprinted,” (X). He added “I was worried because my prints were all over that bike,” (X). Kennedy concludes, that “[l]uckily, the story died down after a while and it stayed dead for a decade,” (X).
Now, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. states that “[t]he New Yorker somehow found out about it and they just—they’re gonna do a big article on me and that’s one of the articles. So they asked me, the fact checkers…you know it’s gonna be a bad story,” (X). But Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s practical joke needn't be the depicted in an unfavorable light; it shows his humanity, sense of humor, and serves as a historic American story to be told of Central Park for generations. Further, it effectively brought necessary attention to bicycle safety at a time of noted persistent accidents.
The Next Day: October 6th, 2014
The Guardian reported on October 6th, 2014, that “Florence Slatkin, who lives near the park, said . . . as they got closer, they realised it was a very small bear ‘with its mouth wide open and scratches on the side.’ The cub’s head was on top of the back bicycle wheel, Slatkin said. ‘It was terrible, and it was the strangest thing,’ she added. ‘Why was the bike there?’ (Guardian).
ABC News reported on October 6th, 2014 that “[i]t is not yet clear whether the bear's body was dumped there, or if the cub wandered into the park while still alive,” (ABC). The news outlet wrote that Elizabeth Kaledin, a spokeswoman for the Central Park Conservancy confirmed “Black bears are not native to Central Park and there are no black bears kept at the Central Park Zoo so this is a highly unusual situation," (ABC).
On October 6th, 2014, the New York Times called it a “mystery” running headlines that stated, “In a Mystery, a Baby Black Bear Is Found Dead in Central Park,” (NewYorkTimes). The New York Times reported on October 7th, 2014 a headline that read “Bear Found in Central Park Was Killed by a Car, Officials Say,” (NewYorkTimes). Even the Los Angeles Times wrote on October 7th, 2014 that “[c]ustomers in pedicabs and horse-drawn carriages snapped pictures as their drivers slowed down and pointed out the yew tree under which the 3-foot cub, tangled in a bicycle, had been discovered a day earlier,” (LATimes). The New York Post reported two days later, on October 8th, 2014, that “[p]olice are still trying to determine who dumped the 44-pound corpse in the park,” (NYPost).
Conclusion
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. discussing this story a decade later, displays both the sense of humor and humanity of the U.S. presidential candidate. Kennedy did not injure the bear, nor did he cause any detriment to society. Instead his prank likely forced officials to consider the safety of the newly implemented bike lanes. Now the New Yorker is waging war on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., hoping to invoke malice upon the candidate over his prank. The New Yorker’s willingness to present Kennedy in an unfavorable light, reveals an agenda beneath the seemingly innocuous publication. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is an American. Kennedy’s story of the bear closes the case for the many confused residents of New York City, while depicting Kennedy in realistic manner. Kennedy is not just a man with a political agenda, but a human being with a sense of humor and a respect for nature. Had Kennedy left the bear in the road, it would have posed a danger to drivers. While Kennedy was unable to return to his home to preserve the deceased bear cub; through Kennedy’s actions the young bear cub’s legacy lives on.
Bibliography
ABCNews. (Accessed on August 4th, 2024). Black Bear Cub Found Dead in Central Park - ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-bear-cub-found-dead-central-park/story?id=26001672
LATimes. (Accessed on August 4th, 2024). Dead bear cub in Central Park baffles New Yorkers - Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-nyc-bear-20141007-story.html
NYPost. (Accessed on August 4th, 2024). Dead Central Park cub was run over: cops. https://nypost.com/2014/10/08/dead-central-park-cub-was-run-over-cops/
NYTimes. (Accessed on August 4th, 2024). Bear Found in Central Park Was Killed by a Car, Officials Say - The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/08/nyregion/bear-cub-found-dead-in-central-park-was-hit-by-a-car-investigators-say.html
NYTimes. (Accessed on August 4th, 2024). In a Mystery, a Baby Black Bear Is Found Dead in Central Park - The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/nyregion/baby-bear-is-found-dead-in-central-park.html
TheGuardian. (Accessed on August 4th, 2024). Mystery of black bear cub found dead in New York’s Central Park | Animals | The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/07/black-bear-cub-dead-new-york-central-park-mystery
X. (Accessed on August 4th, 2024). Robert F. Kennedy Jr on X: "Looking forward to seeing how you spin this one, @NewYorker…” https://t.co/G13taEGzba" / X. https://x.com/robertkennedyjr/status/1820132549798347109?s=12