Photo: IC

Mexican authorities say they have launched an investigation into the castration of a black bear who became famous after appearing in a selfie taken by a fearless hiker.

The animal made international headlines when a woman snapped a photo of it standing with its face just behind her head in an ecological park in northern Mexico.

The 96-kilogram (211 pounds) bear then ambled off, leaving her unharmed. It also approached another woman in a nearby area without hurting her.

The bear was captured last week while sleeping outside a house and transferred to a veterinary faculty at a university in the northern state of Nuevo Leon for a routine check-up.

Once there, a wildlife laboratory at the faculty decided that it was necessary to castrate the bear due to its "erratic behavior," wildlife protection authority Profepa said Sunday in a statement. It said the bear was feeding in an urban area.