Bear Wrestling Was Legal in Alabama Until Recently

Photo byAlabama Living

Yep! You read the title correctly. Alabama is known for a lot of things, including college football, Gulf Coast beaches, southern hospitality, and its role in the American space program, just to name a few. But did you know that Bear Wrestling is a real sport that Alabama is known for?

Although it's not known exactly when Bear Wrestling began, there are reports of this sport taking place as recently as the 80s and the 90s. Bear wrestling matches were held at bars, fairs, and various other community areas.

Bear Wrestling was attractive to participants because it allowed them to show off their strength, and of course, it was profitable because spectators enjoyed watching the matches. Participants would go up against black bears and grizzlies, averaging about 550 pounds in weight.

In 1996, an Alabama law was passed that made it illegal to hold Bear Wrestling matches for a profit. Surgically altering a bear or training bears to wrestle was also prohibited in the same law. Understandably, this law was passed because of the risk of great danger to both the people and the bears.

Later, Alabama actually repealed this law because it was seen as obsolete and outdated. However, it is still illegal to host, engage in, or be a party to bear wrestling in Alabama due to other laws pertaining to animal treatment and cruelty.

Now you know!

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