Florida’s First Ever Fatal Black Bear Attack Shocks Collier County

An 89-year-old Florida man and his dog are now dead after what local officials are calling the first documented fatal black bear attack in the Sunshine State’s history. According to reports, the incident took place on 89-year-old Robert Markel’s property in rural Collier County just south of the Big Cypress Management area. 

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 7:07 a.m. Monday morning reporting a “bear encounter,” after Markel’s daughter reportedly witnessed a black bear attack and kill her father’s dog. Deputies and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers arrived about an hour later, discovering Markel’s body within a couple hundred yards of the dog. The FWC confirmed that the man and dog were killed in separate attacks “some time apart” on Monday, though it remains unclear whether one or multiple bears were involved.

“We do know it was a bear attack. We don’t know if it was the same bear or multiple bears,” FWC spokesperson George Reynaud stated.

FWC and the sheriff’s office then proceeded to quarantine the area and using drones and other equipment, worked swiftly in an attempt to locate the bears they believe were involved in the incident. 

It was around 9 p.m. when local residents reported the sound of gunshots in the area, following a confirmation from FWC officials that they had killed two different bears they believed to have been involved in the incident.  The agency is now conducting DNA testing to determine if either was responsible for the attacks and has secured a perimeter and urged residents to avoid the area, warning that the bear(s) may still be present.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we urge residents and visitors to remain vigilant, and avoid the area," the FWC said.

Bear attacks in Florida remain exceptionally rare, with only 42 documented cases of physical contact between humans and black bears since 2006, most involving dogs. The last recorded bear attack in Collier County occurred on January 9, 2018, when a man was injured in his North Naples backyard while letting his dog out. The FWC notes that dogs often trigger defensive bear reactions, particularly when female bears are protecting cubs. Florida’s black bear population, estimated at over 4,000, has grown significantly, leading to increased human-bear interactions, especially in rural areas like rural Collier County.

This tragedy coincides with ongoing debates about Florida’s bear management. Just last month, the FWC held virtual public feedback sessions on a proposed bear hunt—the first since 2015—to manage the state’s growing black bear population. A draft proposal, expected later this week, suggests harvesting 55 bears in Lee, Collier, and Hendry counties to balance population numbers with habitat capacity. 

This unprecedented attack underscores the challenges of coexisting with Florida’s rebounding black bear population, once reduced to several hundred in the 1970s. As investigations continue, the FWC urges residents to report bear threats to the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).