Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw
Black Bear Kills Elderly Florida Man
An elderly Florida man, 89-year-old Robert Markel, was killed and at least partially eaten by a black bear near Jerome Florida. Jerome is located in Collier county in south west Florida. This is the first recorded fatality by bear attack in Florida history.
Markel had been reported missing by family members. The report noted that there were disturbances that could be attributed to bears. His remains were found about 100 yards from his home, along with evidence of a “physical encounter” between a bear and a person near the house, according to a news release from the FWC. Officials also said a dog was recently killed by a bear nearby, and there were signs that a bear had entered the home itself.
There is evidence that at least one bear fed on the corpse. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s bear management team captured 3 male bears – weighing 207, 263 and 434 pounds – in the immediate area and missed a 4th, but collected DNA. The three captured bears were killed and necropsies performed.
Mr. Markel’s remains were found in the stomach of the 263 lb bear. Additionally, that bear’s DNA was found on Markel, the dog and inside the house.
This writer hunts and studies bear behaviors/biology and has since the salad days of his youth. Any time there is bear related news, I check into them closely.
There are two truisms when it comes to North American bears: A fed bear is a dead bear and if it’s brown, lay down. If it’s black, fight back. If it’s white, say goodnight.
The first of those aphorisms means that bears that are fed by humans nearly always wind up being killed by DNR/FWS/DEC officials after they become habituated to humans.
The second is a very general set of instructions about what to do if you are attacked by a bear.
Brown/grizzly bears generally do not see humans as potential prey. When they attack, it is because you got too close. If you lay down, you present less of a ‘threat’ to the bear and they will likely leave you alone.
Black bears almost always attack you because they are hungry or see you as an easy meal. If you are attacked by a black bear fight back as hard as you can.
Polar bears are the only bear species that regularly target humans as prey. There is little chance that you could escape a polar bear if unarmed, so just say your prayers.
Recent studies have borne out what I have personally observed over years of black bear encounters; young males are responsible for the vast majority of fatal encounters. One study said that 88% of the fatal attacks they studied were predatory in nature. So while bears are opportunistic feeders, in this case I suspect the young bear – and based on his weight, I’d say it was a sub-adult – was looking for some easy calories and the 89 year old fit the bill.
If you are in bear country there are precautions you can take. Bear bells are a good way to avoid most confrontations to begin with. Bear spray is a decent, but imperfect, deterrent. If you are going with bear spray, be sure you know how to use it properly. Guns can be an excellent choice if you have the proper caliber. I will caution you though. Depending on the state, you may find you have to justify the killing to fish and wildlife officials or law enforcement.
