Florida Confronts First Ever Fatal Bear Attack

Authorities in Florida are investigating what appears to be the first documented fatal bear attack in state history. An 88-year-old man and his dog were killed in close proximity Monday in what officials say were separate bear attacks, possibly by the same animal. The Collier County Sheriff's Office received notice of a bear encounter at the man's home south of a conservation area near Jerome just after 7am Monday, per ABC News. The man's daughter said she witnessed a bear attack a dog before going in search of her father, longtime Jerome resident Robert Markel. Authorities believe Markel was attacked earlier Monday. His body was discovered a few hundred yards from the dog, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC).

Markel and the dog had been alone at Markel's home that morning, according to the FWC. "We do know it was a bear attack. We don't know if it was the same bear or multiple bears," FWC rep George Reynaud said at a press briefing on Monday evening, per ABC. The FWC killed two bears in the area on Monday night and are testing DNA to confirm if either were involved in the attacks. The black bear is the only bear species known to live naturally in Florida. There are about 4,000 in the state, per NBC News. (More bear attack stories.)