A 66-year-old Arizona man was fatally injured Friday morning after being attacked by a black bear in a “very rare” unprovoked attack, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release about the incident.
The “predatory” attack occurred early Friday morning while the victim, Stephen Jackson, was drinking coffee at a table on the property he was building. Officials said there didn’t appear to be anything at the scene, such as access to food, cooking facilities or water, to attract the bears or provoke an attack.
“A male black bear appears to have unknowingly attacked Mr. Jackson and dragged him to about 75 feet below the embankment,” the statement said.
Neighbors and witnesses who heard the victim’s screams tried to distract the bear by honking car horns and yelling, but the bear did not go away until one of the neighbors shot the bear with a rifle. The statement said they did not try to let Jackson go.
But authorities said Jackson was already dead from “gross injuries” when the bear released him.
The attack was highly unusual, according to the YCSO and Arizona Game and Fish, and the second known fatal bear attack since the mid-1980s.
Although killed bears are no longer a threat to the general public, authorities are asking campers and tourists visiting the area to keep food in their cars and items such as toothpaste that may attract bears. It warns you to take precautions such as not misplacing to the campsite.
The YCSO said it would conduct a further investigation into Jackson’s death, while Arizona Game and Fish said it would continue to investigate the cause of the attack, although officials said it may have been a predatory response by a bear. I think there is
Both agencies also reminded people not to shoot bears unless they pose an immediate threat to themselves or others.
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