No, Pennsylvania does not prohibit bear wrestling— that’s a law from Missouri, where it’s classified as a class A misdemeanor under RSMo Section 578.176, covering acts like wrestling, promoting, or training bears for it. The myth likely spreads from lists of “dumb laws” wrongly pinning it on Oklahoma or Alabama, but no Pennsylvania statute bans it.
Pennsylvania Wildlife Rules
Pennsylvania Game Commission laws protect black bears by banning intentional feeding to prevent habituation, with violations risking fines or citations. Hunting bears is regulated seasonally, but “cub law” controversies limit pursuits of mothers with young, differing from neighboring states.
Myth Origins
Bear wrestling was a real 19th-20th century spectacle in places like Washington and Ohio, now largely banned nationwide for animal cruelty, but Pennsylvania lacks a specific prohibition. Online folklore exaggerates state quirks into viral untruths.
SOURCES
[1](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=578.176)
[2](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2530308-exploring-the-strange-history-of-pro-wrestlers-battling-bears)
[3](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pgc/wildlife/discover-pa-wildlife/black-bear)
[4](https://www.historylink.org/File/10709)
[5](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1102422671675932&set=a.514250470493158&id=100057246288234)
