Police: Severed foot was bear's paw, not child's
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 09/25/2008 06:45:20 PM EDT
RUSSELLVILLE, Ala.—Authorities in Alabama say a severed foot brought home by a family dog belongs to a bear—and not a child as they first thought.
Police in Russellville spent two days searching surrounding wooded areas for a small child after a family dog brought the foot to its home late Saturday.
Chief Chris Hargett says the structure of the bear's foot was close enough to a human's to fool an orthopedic surgeon who examined it. But forensic tests later found its origin.