Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he left a dead bear in Central Park as a prank

Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Independent statesmanlike campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. erstwhile retrieved a carnivore that was killed by a motorist and near it successful New York’s Central Park pinch a bicycle connected top, sparking a enigma that consumed nan metropolis a decade ago.

Kennedy describes nan incident successful a video that was posted to societal media Sunday, adding it will beryllium included successful a forthcoming New Yorker article that he expects to beryllium damaging.

It’s nan latest bizarre incident successful Kennedy’s quixotic campaign, which has divided his celebrated family and near Republicans and Democrats alike concerned astir his imaginable effect connected nan statesmanlike contest. Kennedy has acknowledged a parasite that lodged successful his encephalon and died. He denied eating a canine aft a friend shared a photograph pinch Vanity Fair mag showing Kennedy dramatically preparing to return a wound of a charred animal; Kennedy said it was a goat.

In nan video, Kennedy recounts nan communicative to character Roseanne Barr. He says he was heading to a falconry excursion pinch friends erstwhile a female driving up of him deed and killed nan young carnivore pinch her vehicle. He says he put it successful his ain vehicle, intending to tegument it and eat nan meat, but nan time sewage distant from him.

Eventually, he says, he was successful Manhattan and needed to get nan carnivore star retired of his vehicle. His friends, fueled by alcohol, concocted nan Central Park scheme arsenic a prank, he said, adding he was not drunk himself. At nan time, bicycle accidents were getting important media attention, truthful Kennedy and his friends thought it would beryllium funny to make it look for illustration nan carnivore was deed by a bicycle.

Two women stepping their dogs recovered nan dormant carnivore and alerted authorities, rubbing disconnected a enigma that captivated nan metropolis for a fewer days. Bears are not among nan park’s known wildlife population.

The motorcycle was dusted for prints and nan animal sent to Albany for a necropsy, which wished nan carnivore was apt deed by a conveyance and was not a unfortunate of animal cruelty. But really nan carnivore ended up successful Central Park remained a mystery.

“I was worried because my prints were each complete that bike,” Kennedy tells Barr successful nan video.