Clarkstown police say a maintenance man dumping trash found the corpse of the young bear on Tuesday at the Rockland Center in Nanuet, 24 miles from Manhattan.
It wasn't clear how the bear died. Police said the head and claws were probably taken as trophies by whoever killed the animal.
They said there had been no recent bear sightings in the area.
There were no surveillance cameras near the trash bin and no witnesses have come forward.
Police said they are not actively investigating and have referred the case to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
