300-Pound Black Bear Mauls Florida Man and His Dog in First Ursine Killing in the State
Another week, another gruesome bear attack: this time a fatal one, claiming the life of an elderly man and his dog.
And – mind you – not in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, or any other of the mountainous states, but in Florida.
A massive black bear, reported to weigh 300 pounds, mauled to death an 89-year-old Florida man and his devoted dog — the first ursine killing in state history.
New York Post reported:
“Robert Markel’s granddaughter called 911 on the morning of May 5, after seeing a 263-pound bear killing her dad’s dog right outside his camper, situated on her property in Jerome — about 70 miles south of Fort Myers.”
When Collier County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene, it was too late for the dog.
And his owner, Markel, was missing.
“It wouldn’t be long though before his remains were located 100 yards from the camper. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found some of the killer bear’s DNA inside the camper and on the dog’s corpse.
Officials searched the area and found three bears, which they fatally shot and [tested] for DNA to identify which was responsible for the horrific killings.”
A forensic test found the remains of the man inside one of the bears’ stomachs.
As of now, it’s unclear whether Markel was killed before or after his dog.
“The FWC receives an average of 6,300 bear-related calls annually and has documented 42 prior incidents where wild black bears have made physical contact with people since the 1970s, when comprehensive records began being kept,” authorities explained.”
This incident is second bear mauling in the Sunshine State in 2025.
Read more:
Outrage as Connecticut Father Arrested and Charged for Killing Bear Threatening His Two Children
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