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/)
