263-pound black bear broke into home, killed man and dog, Florida report says

New information on Florida’s first fatal bear attack revealed the culprit was a 263-pound black bear that broke into the man’s home and killed him and a dog, wildlife officials said.

The male bear tested negative for rabies, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said May 9.

The morning of May 5, the daughter of 89-year-old Robert Markel saw a bear attack the dog and called 911, leading to the discovery of her father’s body, McClatchy News previously reported.

Investigators said Markel was found dead about 100 yards from his residence in Jerome, and inside the home, they found the bear’s DNA.

“The exact sequence of events remains unclear,” said officials, who previously shared the attacks did not occur at the same time.

FWC personnel killed three bears during the search for the animal responsible for the attack, and they found a 263-pound male contained partial remains from the man. The bear’s DNA was also found on the dog, officials said.

Over the last year, the FWC said it got 16 calls about bears in the area, leading officers to relocate or haze some to deter them from interacting with humans, and one was killed.

“The FWC does not make that decision lightly,” officials said.

Records show only three people have received serious injuries that required medical attention from a bear interaction in Florida.

“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 said.

Jerome is in rural Collier County south of the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area in southwest Florida.

This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 6:26 PM with the headline "263-pound black bear broke into home, killed man and dog, Florida report says."