An 89-year-old man and a dog were killed in Southwest Florida on Monday in what the authorities said appeared to be separate attacks by a black bear.
Officials received a call just after 7 a.m. about an apparent “fatal wildlife attack” in a rural and wooded unincorporated part of Collier County just north of Everglades City, Fla., the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said the animal involved in the attacks may still be in the area. The commission, which is leading the investigation, said it was continuing to secure a perimeter.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we urge residents and visitors to remain vigilant, and avoid the area,” the commission said.
George Reynaud, a spokesman for the commission, told reporters at a news briefing on Monday that “these two incidents seem to have occurred some time apart.”
He identified the victim as Robert Markel, a longtime resident of Jerome, Fla., in Collier County.
Mr. Markel’s daughter called 911 after she saw a bear maul her father’s dog near a house off State Road 29 and said she couldn’t find her father, according to WPLG-TV.
Florida is home to more than 4,000 black bears, according to the commission.
The animals roam forests and swamps from the state’s panhandle and Ocala National Forest in the state’s midsection, to Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida, which was near where the attack occurred on Monday, the commission said.
Bear attacks on humans are rare. On occasion, as they prowl for food in neighborhoods, bears will come into contact with residents.
“If bears can’t find food, they will move on,” the commission said.
The last documented case of physical contact between a person and a black bear in Florida was on Feb. 15 in Silver Springs, Fla., according to the commission. Additional details on that encounter were not immediately available. Since 2006, the commission has reported 42 such encounters.
The commission said it is illegal to intentionally place food or garbage outside that can attract bears and lead to conflicts. It noted that anything that attracts dogs, cats or raccoons will also attract bears.
Bears can run up to 35 miles per hour and climb 100 feet up a tree in 30 seconds. The commission recommended that people do not run or climb a tree if they encounter a bear.
If someone encounters the animal at close range, the commission suggested that the person speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice, back up slowly to a secure area and “be sure you are leaving the bear a clear escape route.”
And if a bear attacks, the commission recommended to “fight back aggressively.”
“People have successfully fended off black bear attacks using rocks, sticks, or even their bare hands!” it added.
