Missouri Police Warn Citizens to Please Not Wrestle a Bear

There are two interesting pieces of information to share with you. 1. A black bear was spotted near Salem, Missouri. 2. The police are advising that citizens not wrestle it. Both of those statements are remarkably true.

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Whoever is in charge of the Salem, Missouri Police Department Facebook page deserves a raise. They shared the news of a bear sighting in the most creative way you can imagine. They note where the bear was spotted (near Rolla Road in Salem, Missouri) and also include a real Missouri law that forbids wrestling these large predators.

Surely this "no bear wrestling law in Missouri" is made up, right?

Wrong. It's very real. It's Missouri statute 578.176 which says:

578.176. Bear wrestling — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of bear wrestling if he or she:

(1) Wrestles a bear;

(2) Permits bear wrestling to be done on any premises under his or her charge or control;

(3) Promotes, conducts, or stages bear wrestling;

(4) Advertises bear wrestling;

(5) Collects any admission fee for bear wrestling;

(6) Purchases, sells, or possesses a bear which he or she knows will be used for bear wrestling;

(7) Trains a bear for bear wrestling;

(8) Subjects a bear to surgical alteration for bear wrestling.

2. The offense of bear wrestling is a class A misdemeanor.

Whew. At least it's only a misdemeanor.

Congrats again, Salem, Missouri Police. You have dinged the bell for fun and informative social media engagement today. You win the internet.