By now, you’ve probably heard of the popular new film, “Cocaine Bear,” which is exactly what it sounds like, a movie about a bear on cocaine. Although the premise of the movie sounds pretty silly at first, there is a surprisingly true story behind it.

Although the killing spree the bear embarks on in the movie is fictional, the main idea is true. In 1985, a former Lexington police officer, turned drug smuggler, was dropping off a shipment of drugs in Georgia. After his shipment, the former police officer and his accomplice flew off in a self-piloted aircraft, dropping 40 containers of cocaine into the woods before ultimately abandoning the plane since all of the weight had become too much for it to handle. 

Soon after, a bear was found dead in northern Georgia near 40 opened plastic containers of cocaine. After an autopsy was performed, it was announced that the bear had three to four grams of cocaine in its blood system, but it may have ingested more as its stomach was packed with the drug.

The bear earned the nickname of Pablo Eskobear. He was taxidermied and now resides in Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall after being passed around by multiple owners throughout its existence. According to an interview with the owners done by Roadside America, Eskobear is also said to have the authority to officiate weddings. Although it may technically not be qualified, Kentucky cannot invalidate the marriage if the people being married believe the person (or bear in this case) has the authority to wed them.

So, although all of the movie isn’t entirely true, Pablo Eskobear is in fact real, just without the brutal kill streak that the movie shows. So if you’re ever in Kentucky and looking to get married, be sure to hit up Pablo Eskobear.