A Missouri petting zoo brought a group of animals to Washington University in St. Louis to help students de-stress and relax before their final exams. But one of those animals — an adorable two-month-old bear cub named Boo Boo — kind of defeated the purpose of the whole thing by biting and scratching several students. Because nothing facilitates relaxation like a good old-fashioned rabies scare!
The university had previously said that the cub would have to be euthanized in order to test him for rabies, but school officials now say that won’t be necessary, Reuters reports. Local, state and federal health officials determined that Boo Boo posed no rabies threat, and the students will not need treatments, according to a statement that the university released Friday.
Boo Boo either bit or scratched at least 18 students, university spokeswoman Susan Killenberg McGinn confirmed Monday.
But really, it’s no wonder so many students wanted to hold and cuddle Boo Boo in order to relax in time for their exams. Look at the cub:
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