Few People Know The Real Story of the Film Cocaine Bear In Tennessee
By Chris Dodge|Published February 28, 2024
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Chris Dodge
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My name is Chris Dodge and I live right here in the great state of Tennessee. My family and I are full adventurers filled with passion to see the amazing things our state has to offer. We are avid hikers and have explored many different places in Tennessee and beyond but we are always thankful to be living in such a glorious state.
Here at Only In Tennessee, we pride ourselves on providing y’all with *all* the Volunteer State has to offer, including trivia tidbits and pop culture datum. This is a lead-in to today’s topic, and it’s a bizarre one! Do you know the real story of “Cocaine Bear?” The movie may entertain moviegoers but the story was inspired by a series of events fit for the big screen. Here is really what happened back in 1985.
"Cocaine Bear" is a film about a bear who goes on a murderous rampage after eating drugs. You can expect to see campy gore and horror in this cult classic. The story was inspired by real-life events and like most things in life, and the real story is stranger than fiction.
Police received a call and when they arrived on the scene they found a faulty parachute and a man who had met his demise. That man was identified as Andrew C. Thornton II, a former Lexington necrotic police officer who went rogue to pursue a life of crime and drug smuggling.
As authorities followed the trail of Thornton’s activities, they discovered that he had been flying in a small plane with his partner in crime carrying 300 lbs of cocaine. The plane couldn’t maintain, so the situation called for a drastic measure. To try and survive, the duo dumped the container of cocaine in the wilderness and Thornton parachuted out of the plane.
The first to find it was a black bear. Bears are naturally curious and will scavenge for food anywhere they can find it. These hulking beasts start to pack on a lot of weight in preparation for winter so this 175-pound bear thought she'd hit the jackpot. Unfortunately, this was not food and led to her demise as well. As the FBI followed the trail of torn packages, it led them straight to what is now known as the Cocaine Bear.
This bear was brought in for examination and they did find the substance in her system. The doctor working on the case didn’t want the body to go to waste so he had her taxidermized. The bear eventually ended up at the Kentucky For Kentucky Fun Mall where you can visit her to this very day.
So the real story of the Cocaine Bear didn’t end in a murderous rampage but it is a strange Tennessee tale nonetheless. If you love the movie then check out this Cocaine Bear shirt you can buy.
