Stolen 800-Pound Stuffed Bear Found in Pennsylvania

UNIONTOWN, Pa. – An 800-pound stuffed bear that was stolen from a bar in southwestern Pennsylvania was located Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

The owner of the Eagle's Nest bar in Uniontown said that one of the individuals who took the bear Sunday turned himself into police overnight.

"[The man] admitted to it," John El-Ayazra said, adding that up to seven individuals were involved in the theft. "They have it. It's now a matter of how much they'll have to pay to fix it."

El-Ayazra said that police were aware of the bear's location but had not yet retrieved it.

On Sunday, several patrons who had been drinking at the bar reportedly tried to steal the bear from a second-floor balcony, but were scared away by employees after they got the taxidermy specimen down the stairs.

Unable to carry the heavy beast, mounted in a standing position, employees left it outside. Police believe the would-be thieves came back and dragged the bear away.

El-Ayazra told WPIX-TV that the animal was given to him by a friend who shot it in Russia 10 years ago.

"Everybody knows the bear. Everybody goes there, take pictures with it," he said.

"I think it's a serious crime," he added. "The bear cost about $10,000. It's not a cheap bear."