A recently published biography of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., titled *RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise* by Isabel Vincent, has brought renewed public attention to several unconventional stories from his past involving animals. These accounts, reportedly drawn from interviews, records, and Kennedy’s personal journals from 1999 to 2001, have come under scrutiny as Kennedy serves in a prominent federal government role.
"I was standing in front of my parked car on I-684 cutting the penis out of a road killed raccoon, thinking about how weird some of my family members have turned out to be." — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Journal Entry
Among the most notable revelations is a journal entry describing an incident on Interstate 684. Kennedy recounted stopping his vehicle to interact with a deceased raccoon. The entry states, "I was standing in front of my parked car on I-684 cutting the penis out of a road killed raccoon, thinking about how weird some of my family members have turned out to be." The passage further noted, "My kids waited patiently in the car." Kennedy later explained to *People* magazine that he kept the animal’s genitals to "study them later."
This resurfaced account has highlighted other animal-related stories that Kennedy and his family members have previously discussed. One such incident was shared by his daughter, Kick Kennedy, in a 2012 interview with *Town & Country* magazine. She described a family trip to Hyannis Port where Kennedy learned of a whale carcass washed ashore near Squaw Island. According to her account, Kennedy proceeded to the beach, used a chainsaw to remove the whale’s head, and then secured it to the roof of the family minivan with a bungee cord for transport. Kick Kennedy recalled the experience, stating, "Every time we accelerated on the highway, whale juice would pour into the windows of the car, and it was the rankest thing on the planet." She added, "We all had plastic bags over our heads with mouth holes cut out, and people on the highway were giving us the finger, but that was just normal day-to-day stuff for us."
Another incident that garnered national headlines during Kennedy’s 2024 presidential campaign involved a dead bear cub in Central Park. Kennedy acknowledged leaving the cub in the park, initially intending to skin it but not completing the task. Prior to an article on the subject in *The New Yorker*, Kennedy released a social media video explaining that he and friends, after drinking, decided to place the cub in the park to "make it look like he got hit by a bike." He stated he had discovered the deceased cub during a falconing trip in Goshen.
Further allegations regarding Kennedy’s past conduct emerged following his nomination by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. His cousin, Caroline Kennedy, reportedly sent a letter to lawmakers expressing concerns. Citing reports from *The Telegraph*, the letter alleged that Kennedy, while in college, once placed chicks and mice in a blender to feed hawks he kept, describing his dormitory as "a perverse scene of despair and violence."
Despite these various incidents involving animal specimens, Kennedy has not publicly disclosed any research findings or conclusions tied to the whale head, raccoon remains, or other specimens mentioned in these revived accounts. The release of *RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise* has once again placed these episodes into the public spotlight, prompting discussions about their implications as Kennedy assumes a leadership role within the federal government’s health apparatus.
