When a highway maintenance crew in Canyon Country came across the dead body of a young bear early Thursday, it was an unfortunate but routine part of the job: another animal struck by a passing driver.

Then, a state game warden inspected the 2-year-old bear and found something more gruesome.

The 150-pound bear’s paws had been removed and its gallbladder was harvested, according to Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Investigators suspect the bear, which was found near Highway 14 at Sand Canyon Road, was struck by a vehicle sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday, then mutilated by the driver or someone related to him.

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