An 89-year-old Florida man and his dog were found dead near their home in Jerome after a black bear broke into their residence, authorities confirmed. The man was identified as Robert Markel, and his body was discovered along with his dog a couple of hundred yards away from their home in Collier County.
Bear Attack Confirmed
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FFWC) officials were called to the scene on a May morning last year. George Reynaud from the FFWC said: "We do know it was a bear attack. We don't know if it was the same bear or multiple. The attacks, just south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area, may have happened at different times."
Officers established a secure perimeter and used a drone to search for the bear. Bear traps were placed around the area, and DNA was collected, with authorities stating the animal was likely a Florida black bear.
Community Response
Jerome, part of the South Bear Management Unit, issued a statement to Robert's family, saying: "We want to thank the family for their cooperation as they navigate this challenging time, and our thoughts remain with them." FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said: "I am proud of our staff's professional response and support for the family as they faced an unfathomable event this week."
Officials later confirmed it had been the same bear, saying: "The exact sequence of events remains unclear." Another FWC spokesperson, Tyler Matthews, told a press conference: "Lethal force is a last resort but we are armed to address that."
Bear Population and History
The bear was ultimately found and killed, and its carcass was taken to Gainesville for a necropsy. The commission recorded 43 human-bear encounters in Florida from 2006 to 2025, and almost all of them also involved a dog.
Once a threatened species, with only 300-500 statewide in the 1970s due to habitat loss and unregulated hunting, black bear numbers have rebounded in the last decade. There are now around 4,050 such bears in the state, the FWC said. Hunting was banned in 1994, before the Florida legislature authorized a limited hunt in 2015. The FFWC has proposed issuing permits for the hunting of another 187 bears in 2025.
In June 2024, Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, signed a bill waiving some protections for bears. It came after state congressman Jason Shoaf made the baseless claim that black bears high on crack cocaine were breaking into people's homes.
Recent Incidents
The FFWC received 16 bear-related calls within a 10-mile radius of nearby Copeland between May 5, 2024, and May 4, 2025, resulting in five site visits, five capture efforts, three bears that were relocated and hazed, and one bear that was humanely killed.
While it is rare for wild black bears to injure people in Florida, people have been bitten and scratched by bears, most often when there are cubs, food sources or dogs present. The FFWC 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.
