Florida wildlife officials are moving forward with plans to reinstate a state-sanctioned bear hunt, a decision drawing both support and opposition in the wake of the state’s first fatal bear attack ...

In early May 2025, 89-year-old Robert Markel and his dog were killed by a black bear in Florida. This incident marked the first fatal black bear attack in the state’s history.

Robert Markel and his dog were killed by a black bear near their home in Jerome, Florida. The bear attack occurred about 100 yards from Markel’s home, and authorities found evidence that the ...

Robert Markel of Jerome was mauled in the woods near his home, officials said. FWC officials were called to the property after Markel's daughter reported seeing a bear kill Markel's dog.

Rangers were called to the scene at about 7:15 a.m. on Monday after Markel's daughter reported seeing a bear attacking her father's dog, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC ...

It was determined that 89-year-old Robert Markel of Jerome, south of the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area, was mauled by a 263-pound male black bear, Naples Daily News reported.

Robert Markel of Jerome was mauled in the woods near his home, officials said. FWC officials were called to the property after Markel's daughter reported seeing a bear kill Markel's dog.

Among other things, supporters of the hunt point to a black bear's extremely rare, fatal attack earlier this month on 89-year-old Robert Markel and his dog in a rural part of Collier County, in ...