Holiday World, DNR Officials say Bear sighting was hoax

Holiday World sent out the following message on their facebook page.

"We are emBEARrassed by all of the confusion surrounding a bear sighting near the park this morning." (Holiday World & Splashin' Safari Facebook Page).

Indiana DNR officials also confirmed the sighting was a hoax.

Early Tuesday morning, Santa Claus Police received a photo from an overnight security guard at Holiday World that showed a bear. SCPD Chief James Faulkenburg confirmed this to us. The photo was said to have been taken around 2:45am Tuesday and was near Lake Rudolph. DNR and the Spencer County Sheriff's Department also confirmed they had received reports of a sighting. Chief Faulkenburg told us his officers were looking for the bear but had not physically seen it. 

Indiana DNR and Holiday World now say the photo was a fabrication and actually of a black bear sighting in Oregon.