Man, dog killed in Florida's first deadly black bear attack

Wildlife officials in Florida are investigating what authorities say is the state’s first fatal black bear attack on a human after an 89-year-old man and his dog were found dead near the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area in Collier County.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Robert Markel was killed Monday morning just south of Big Cypress, about 30 miles east of Naples. His daughter called authorities after reportedly witnessing a bear attack his dog. Officers later found Markel’s body several hundred yards from where the dog was killed. Markel and the dog were home alone at the time of the incident, with Markel likely dying hours before the dog.

“We do know it was a bear attack,” said FWC spokesperson George Reynaud during a press briefing. “We don’t know if it was the same bear or multiple bears.”

Later that evening, rangers removed a dead black bear from the woods after setting traps and conducting a ground and drone search. Officials did not immediately confirm whether the bear was responsible for Markel’s death.

FWC Executive Director Roger Young said they also shot several bears as part of the procedure after a bear attack. All of the bears have been sent them for DNA analysis to University of Florida in Gainesville. They won't know if they got the bear responsible until the results are confirmed.

If confirmed, this would be the first fatal black bear attack in Florida history. Since 2006, the FWC has documented 43 human-bear encounters in the state, nearly all involving dogs, but none resulting in death until now.

Florida is home to an estimated 4,000 black bears, with sizable populations in the state’s southwest and in areas around Big Cypress. Once listed as a threatened species in the 1970s, the black bear population has rebounded over recent decades. Grizzly and brown bears aren't known to live in Florida.

Officials continue to urge residents and visitors to remain cautious and report bear sightings. “Lethal force is a last resort,” said FWC’s Tyler Matthews, “but we are armed to address that if necessary.”

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