NAPLES, FL - One person has been found dead in a possible bear attack, authorities said.
Officers were on the scene and investigating it as an "active crime scene," Arielle Callender, the public information officer for the South Region office of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, said on May 5.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office received a call shortly after 7 a.m. in reference to a possible bear encounter near a highway in Jerome, a rural area east of Marco Island.
Deputies arrived about an hour later and found one deceased person, the sheriff's office said. The officers are assisting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with the investigation.
According to data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, if confirmed, the May 5 attack in Collier County would be the second bear mauling in Florida this year. While state data references black bear attacks, authorities have not confirmed the type of bear involved in the May 5 attack.
According to the data, since November 2020, there have been at least 15 bear attacks in Florida involving the presence of dogs. The last attack a dog was not present, according to the records, was in March 2020.
It's not yet confirmed if the most recent investigation includes dogs.
The data states the last black bear attack in Collier County happened Jan. 9, 2018. In that case, a black bear attacked a man in his North Naples backyard. The man was taking his dog outside when one of three bears struck his face, leaving an eight-inch scar and other marks.
Despite the recent bear attacks in southwest Florida, bear attacks are relatively rare. The chance of being attacked by a bear is 1 in 2.1 million, according to 2024 statistics compiled by the World Animal Foundation.
There are on average about 40 bear attacks worldwide, the animal foundation reported and between two to three deaths per year. The U.S., there is fewer than one death per year, according to the North American Bear Center.
Most attacks by bears, black bears in particular, are usually defensive reactions if a person is too close, an easy situation to avoid, the Bear Center said.
Florida wildlife officials had three virtual public feedback meetings in April for a proposed return of a state bear hunt. The primary objectives of regulated hunting are to balance species population numbers with suitable habitat and to maintain a healthy population, the agency reported.
A draft of the proposal to be presented to county commissioners is expected to be ready for public review by Wednesday, May 7. The proposal indicates that 55 bears will be permitted for harvest from Lee, Collier and Hendry counties.
The last black bear hunt happened in Florida a decade ago, but the planned weeklong hunt was halted at the end of the second day after nearly 300 bears were killed.
State officials estimate there are more than 4,000 black bears in Florida.
Contributed: Mark Bickel, Naples Daily News