The bear killed an 89-year-old man and a dog, and entered the man’s home
Florida authorities have confirmed the first fatal bear attack in the state’s history. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported the discovery of the remains of an 89-year-old man who had gone missing near his home in Jerome, just east of Naples. Evidence included signs of a struggle between the man and bear, a dog killed by a bear nearby, and signs that the bear had entered the man’s home. The authorities are unsure of the exact sequence of events. The agency killed three black bears(Ursus americanus) in the vicinity, following its conflict response guidelines. Authorities found one of the male bear’s DNA on the dog, in the man’s home and on the man himself. A necropsy revealed some of the man’s remains inside the same bear. None of the bears showed signs of rabies. The agency stressed the rarity of bear attack injuries in the state, though bites and scratches reported in the past usually occur when cubs are present. Prior to this attack, only three other reports of incidents resulted in serious injuries requiring medical attention since comprehensive record keeping began in the 1970s.
Read more at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
