A man at a Stockton park last week originally thought he saw a black cat sitting atop one of the trees – he soon realized the situation was far grimmer.
John Perrin was actually staring at a severed bear head, nestled between some of the branches.
After the disturbing discovery at Louis Park last Friday, the incident is under investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to a report from KXTV in Stockton.
"I'm here all the time and that has to be the craziest thing I've seen out here," Perrin told the station. "And I've seen some wild things go down here."
Law enforcement was notified of the detached head at 4 p.m.
on Friday and referred the case to the fish and wildlife department.
"There's also been recent sightings reported of bears wandering in Tracy — we have no reason to believe these events are connected," Captain Patrick Foy of the department's law enforcement division explained to the outlet. "This kind of case where it appears the bear head was placed for dramatic purposes, we don't usually get that."
He added that the only identifiable crime committed would be improper disposal of an animal carcass, which carries a $250 fine for first offenders.
An investigation into the situation remains ongoing.
