First Ever Fatal Bear Attack In Florida Leads To The Deaths Of 3 Black Bears

The attack occurred at Markel’s home near Jerome, a community near the larger city of Naples in Collier County. Officials reported that Markel’s daughter rang emergency services after seeing a bear attack her father’s dog. The authorities later found Markel’s body, and reported that the dog and Markel were killed at different times on the property.

“When there’s a loss of life, we’re all affected by this, we’re very sorry that this occurred,” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Tyson Matthews said at a news conference, reports USA Today.

Since the attack took place, the wildlife commission has installed traps in the area and installed cameras nearby. Three bears have also been killed and their DNA sent for testing at the University of Florida, to confirm which, if any, of these bears killed Markel. The wildlife commission expects that the bear species responsible was a black bear, though investigations are still ongoing. 

While this is the first fatal attack, a bear mauling occurred earlier this year in Florida.

The wildlife commission reports that Florida is home to around 4,000 black bears, a number much improved from the several hundred that lived in the state in the 1970s. The Fish and Wildlife Commission even calls it one of the most successful conservation efforts in Florida. However, the commission is now considering whether population management methods such as regulated bear hunts should be reinstated to control numbers, as reported sightings of bears in neighbourhoods have increased. 

If you do come into contact with a bear, “stand your ground,” Mike Orlando, the bear management program coordinator for the commission, told The New York Times. “Make yourself look large. Talk to the bear in a calm fashion. Do not run. Do not play dead.” 

“Even if a bear is touching you,” he said, “you need to fight back."