Bear statues relocated by Florence in New Bern, NC
Updated: Sep. 14, 2018 at 4:11 PM EDT
(WWBT) - For eight years, fiberglass bear statues have adorned the sidewalks and storefront of New Bern, NC.
But when Hurricane Florence blew through the coastal town Friday, some of those bears got relocated into the middle of the street.
The “Bear Town Bears” are part the city’s identity, which is known as “Bear City” because legend has it the city was named for the animals.
It’s similar to Bern, Switzerland, which is called the “City of Bears” and its “Bear Pit” housing live bears.
The statues were commissioned in 2010 to celebrate the city’s 300th anniversary. It is not known how many of the statues have been decommissioned by Florence.
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