An 88-year-old man and his dog were killed Monday in what officials believe were two separate black bear attacks near the victim’s home in rural Collier County, Florida. Officials investigating the incident say they know that one or more bears were involved, making this the first fatal black bear attack ever recorded in the state. The attack comes just weeks before the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will vote on a proposal to reinstate a regulated bear hunting season for the first time since 2015.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 7 a.m. Monday from the victim’s daughter, according to ABC News. She had reportedly seen a black bear maul the family dog, and she later found the body of her father, identified as Robert Markel, several hundred yards from the dog’s carcass. The attacks occurred on the family’s property in Jerome south of the Big Cypress National Preserve.
“We do know it was a bear attack. We don’t know if it was the same bear or multiple bears,” FWC officer George Renaud said at a press conference on Monday afternoon. “At this time, we have deployed four live bear traps around the vicinity where the incident occurred in an attempt to capture this bear.”
Shortly before 9 p.m. Monday, officials hauled at least one dead bear out of the woods near the site of the mauling — after a series of loud pops were heard. The carcass was transported to Gainesville for testing, according to Naples Daily News. Authorities are working to determine if multiple bears were involved.
The FWC estimates the current black bear population around the state to be 4,036 animals, a significant comeback for the species since the 1970s, when only a few hundred called the Sunshine State home. Big Cypress National Preserve has an estimated 1,000 black bears, making it home to one of the biggest bear populations in Florida. Recent population projections suggest more than 11,000 black bears could be on the Florida landscape by 2026 if left unmanged.
That rebound has come with consequences. Bear-related calls to the FWC have increased 42 percent since 2016, with residential area encounters becoming more common. Since 2006, the FWC has recorded 42 “incidents of physical contact” between people and black bears, many of which were minor. Dogs were involved in 67 percent of those encounters, often triggering a response from a bear. Though still rare considering Florida’s sizable human population, bear-human conflicts are increasing.
It is against this backdrop that the FWC is considering bringing back a bear hunting season for the first time in a decade. The proposed 23-day season would take place in December with a statewide harvest quota of 187 bears.
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Opposition to bear hunting remains strong among many residents of the Sunshine State. A 2022 statewide poll commissioned by Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States) found that 78 percent of Floridians oppose “trophy hunting” of black bears. The survey included 1,056 likely voters – a small sample compared to Florida’s 14 million registered voters.
A draft of FWC’s final bear hunt proposal is expected Wednesday. The commission is also expected to vote on the proposal at a meeting scheduled for May 21 to 22 in Ocala.
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