Teddy Bear Trout Killer on the Loose

MILFORD, N.H. - A teddy bear has been implicated in 2,500 deaths. Of trout, that is. State officials say a teddy bear dropped into a pool at a Fish and Game Department hatchery earlier this month clogged a drain. The clog blocked the flow of oxygen to the pool and fish suffocated.

Hatcheries supervisor Joe Carpenter said the bear, who was dressed in yellow raincoat and hat , is believed to be the first stuffed bear to cause fatalities at the facility.

"We've had pipes get clogged, but it's usually with more naturally occurring things like a frog or even a dead muskrat or family dog," he said. "This one turned out to be a teddy bear, as security cameras clearly show."
The deaths prompted Carpenter to release a written warning and post it to every tree in the area: "RELEASE OF ANY TEDDY BEARS into the fish hatchery water IS NOT PERMITTED." "That should do the trick," he said proudly.

He said it's not known who the little girl caught on camera is, but clearly it was done with criminal intent. "If I ever run into this murderer, I'll...I'll...," Carpenter stopped short of threatening the child. He offered this advise to the public." I urge anyone whose bear ends up in a hatchery pool to find a worker to remove it. They might save your teddy bear, and keep it from becoming a killer," he said.

Rick Bassinger, an employee at the hatchery, sided with the bear. "He got beat up pretty good," he said yesterday, holding the toy carefully, a telltale weed poking out from the bear's hat. "Somebody's going to see him on TV and say, 'Hey, that's Susie's bear.'"

Build a Bear Workshop has posted a $10,000 reward and a certificate good for one stuffed toy to the person that provides the lead Fish and Game Wardens need to make an arrest.

In the meantime, Bassinger is suggesting a simple piece of advice to parents who allow their children to bring toys with them to the hatchery.

"Tie a string on them," he said. (The bear, not the child)

"It's kind of a cute little teddy bear and people wouldn't think that a cute little teddy bear would be able to kill fish so efficiently, but this little guy is as deadly as he is cute", Carpenter admitted. When asked if he would return the bear if the child was ever found,the supervisor was adament. "No way! This is going into my collection, next to the frog, dead muskrat, and family dog."