Viral Bear That Traveled Through Midwest & Stopped in Iowa Dies
I have some bad news for fans of one viral bear that wormed its way into our hearts.
You might remember Bruno the black bear from his cross country adventure last year. People all over the country came together during the height of the pandemic and social unrest to watch this furry guy travel across the country.
He was first spotted in Northeastern Iowa in June of 2020. Initially, the Bruno sightings were in Clinton and Jackson County. Many experts say that Bruno was on the hunt for a mate and that is why he was traveling all over the Midwest. Last summer he trekked from Wisconsin to Illinois to Iowa.
Northeastern Iowans were enraptured by the bear's journey, but unfortunately, it has come to an end.
Bruno was euthanized earlier this week in Louisiana by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, according to reports. The bear sustained several serious injuries, according to officials. Several accounts have claimed that he was possibly struck by a semi and that for the very last month of his life he had to drag himself by his front two legs.
Officials from the Ozark Gateway Tourist Council in Arkansas put out a moving statement about Bruno's death.
"Bruno didn’t live an ordinary bear life, but then, he proved he definitely wasn’t an ordinary bear," the statement read. "We may never know why he set out exploring, but we all know he made our lives brighter in the last year with his travels and expanded our world when we needed it the most."