Bear kills elderly man and dog in rural South Florida
An elderly South Florida man and a dog were killed in a black bear attack on Monday morning in a rural section of the Sunshine State east of Naples, just south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area, according to a statement released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and shared by the Associated Press.
As of this writing, the bear is still on the loose and officials warned the public that the animal could still be in the area and that everyone should remain vigilant and avoid that area while local law enforcement and wildlife officers search for the animal. It’s not clear exactly when the fatal attacks occurred and officials have not yet released the name of the victim. Officials have confirmed though that the fatal attacks are being attributed to that black bear that’s still on the loose.
According to The Naples News, deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office responded to an area on State Road 29, between Naples and Everglades City at 7:07 a.m. on Monday regarding a report of a bear mauling. When deputies arrived on the scene about an hour later, they discovered that one man and a dog had been attacked and killed in a black bear attack. Yesterday’s fatal attack is now the second time this year a Florida black bear attacked a person – and both incidents involved a dog.
Florida’s black bears, which were once threatened, have increasingly wandered into neighborhoods and private property in recent years, especially in more rural areas of north and central Florida. ~ AP
For more on the fatal black bear attack in South Florida, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Black bear cover photo, Image credit: Florida Wildlife Society)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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