A 60-year-old man from Missouri was tragically killed by a black bear at a campsite in Arkansas, where signs of a struggle were discovered. Authorities found tracks leading from the camp into the woods, indicating a harrowing end for the victim on October 5.
The victim’s body was located near Sam’s Throne Campground in the Ozarks. Sheriff Glenn Wheeler of Newton County officially confirmed the cause of death as an “animal mauling,” with injuries consistent with a large carnivore attack, according to The New York Times.
A black bear captured on camera near the campsite matched descriptions provided by witnesses, leading officials to believe it was the same bear responsible for the attack. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission concurred with the findings of the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.
The bear was transported to Little Rock for further investigation, including a necropsy and DNA testing to determine a possible match with the victim. Sheriff Wheeler identified the bear as a young male likely separated from its mother earlier in the year.
The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, was reported missing when his family raised concerns after not hearing from him since he shared a photo of a bear at the campsite on Tuesday morning.
In a separate incident in Franklin County, a 72-year-old man named Vernon Patton passed away from injuries sustained in a black bear encounter while working on a tractor by the roadside last month.
The American black bear, the most prevalent bear species in North America and the smallest in the U.S., is native to Arkansas, where the population is estimated to exceed 5,000. Bear hunting season commenced in Newton County on September 17.
Considered the least aggressive bear species, black bears typically only attack humans when startled or in self-defense, as highlighted by the World Animal Foundation. Statistics show that black bears in North America cause fewer than one human fatality per year on average.