A massive black bear, weighing close to 300 pounds, is suspected of recently attacking and killing an 89-year-old man from Florida, alongside his dog.
On the morning of May 5th, Robert Markel’s granddaughter called for help. A bear, weighing 263 pounds, had already killed her father’s dog near their camper van in Jerome, roughly 70 miles south of Fort Myers.
By the time officers from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office reached the location, the dog was deceased.
Additionally, Robert Markel was missing. His body was discovered not far from the camper, about 100 yards away.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) found traces of the bear’s DNA both inside the camper and within the dog’s remains.
Authorities conducted a search of the area and located three bears, ultimately putting one down to obtain DNA for testing related to this alarming incident.
They discovered part of Markel’s body in the stomach of one of the bears.
Currently, investigators are trying to determine if Markel was attacked while his dog was present.
“The FWC typically manages around 6,300 bear-related calls annually and has recorded 42 prior encounters involving black bears and humans since the 1970s,” officials noted.
This encounter marks the second fatal bear incident in Florida this year.
