Dead black bear found in plastic bag in Arlington, Virginia

A black bear was found dead in a plastic bag near a hiking trail in a park in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC.

According to a press release from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, a plastic bag was discovered near a hiking trail on Spout Run Parkway at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Police suspected there was a dog inside, but instead found the body of a black bear.

“It’s a very unusual incident,” Chelsea Jones, senior communications specialist for the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, told USA TODAY.

She said a local resident found the black bear and reported the incident. The bear weighed at least several hundred pounds and was not removed from the scene until around 1 a.m. Saturday.

Officials are currently conducting a forensic investigation to determine the cause of the bear’s death.

Did the bear die of natural causes?

Jones said it was not known whether the bear died of natural causes or if it was intentionally killed by humans, but he added that a killing could be considered a crime.

Under Virginia law, there are only two situations in which a person in the state may kill a black bear: