Indiana lacks a specific statute banning bear wrestling, but animal cruelty laws under IC 35-46-3-12 prohibit such exploitative fights as a Class A misdemeanor, with penalties up to one year in jail and $5,000 fines, aligning with broader U.S. restrictions on animal exploitation.
Quirky Prohibitions
Indiana enforces odd rules like profane cursing or swearing by God’s name (fines $1-$3 per offense for those over 14), fishing with bare hands (IC 14-22-9-1), and public sexual arousal. Hypnosis requires a physician referral unless for quitting smoking or weight loss, and baths are discouraged October through March in some areas.
Local Eccentricities
In Beech Grove, eating watermelon in parks is forbidden; Indianapolis bans collecting rags on Sundays or throwing stones at birds except in self-defense. Mustaches are illegal if the wearer habitually kisses others, and spiteful gossip violates decency codes.
These rarely enforced laws reflect historical moral codes rather than active prohibitions like bear fights.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladviceofftopic/comments/u7q7v4/in_what_states_can_i_still_wrestle_a_bear/)
[2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_in_professional_wrestling)
[3](https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/state-pride/indiana/these-things-are-actually-illegal-in-indiana)
[4](https://www.weirdfacts.com/en/weird-state-laws/33-weird-indiana)
[5](https://wabx.net/2025/01/13/weird-but-true-indiana-laws-that-actually-exist/)
