A suspected bear attack took the life of a Springfield, Missouri man — only days after he sent his family photographs of a young bruin checking out his Arkansas campsite.
Police found the 60-year-old man’s body several yards from his Ozark National Forest campsite near the town of Mt. Judea in the northern part of the state on Thursday, according to an extensive statement by the Newton County Sheriff’s office.
“The campsite had been disturbed and there was evidence of a struggle and injury,” according to the department. “There were also drag marks leading from the campground into the woods.”
If confirmed, the man’s death would become the second deadly bear attack in a month in Arkansas, which reportedly has not experienced a fatal bear mauling in more than four decades.
Deputies went to the campsite in the Sam’s Throne Recreation Area for a welfare check after the man’s son contacted the department and said he hadn’t heard from his father for a couple of days since he sent the photos. The man was camping alone, he said.
Based on the photos the man sent, the animal appeared to be a young male, authorities said.
Newton County Sheriff Glenn Wheeler issued a warning to anyone who might encounter the bruin:
Until the Arkansas Crime Lab completes the autopsy, we can’t 100% say it was a bear, but everything strongly indicates it. We are attempting to find the bear and dispose of it so the Game and Fish Commission can test it for anything that may have led to the encounter. We know without a doubt that a bear was in camp with our victim and the injuries absolutely are consistent with a bear attack. This is a highly unusual case. If you are in the area, just be aware and use caution, especially with children. History tells us that once a bear becomes predatory, it often continues those behaviors.
The sheriff also said a search was underway for the bear, which would be “taken down” to prevent further attacks and “so the Game and Fish Commission can test it for anything that may have led to the encounter.”
The campground has been temporarily closed to the public while the search for the bear continues.
In the latest update on Friday, the sheriff said he spoke with the Medical Examiner at the Arkansas State Crime Lab who “confirmed the cause of death of the man at Sam’s Throne Campground has officially been ruled as ‘Animal Mauling’ and the manner of death to be an accident.”
Authorities are waiting for the results of DNA samples before giving their final confirmation as a bear attack.
The sheriff had some advice for campers and hikers.
“If you are camping anywhere in the area, be sure to follow bear safety measures,” he said. “Keep your food away from your sleeping area and secured, don’t feed or approach bears — even small ones — carry bear protection such as bear spray or a firearm.”
If confirmed, the most recent attack would be the second fatal mauling in the state in a month. In early September, a black bear mauled a 72-year-old Arkansas man in the Mulberry Mountain area about 80 miles west of the latest suspected attack. He later died of his injuries and that animal was found and euthanized.
Before that, the last fatal bear attack in the state was in 1982, according to the Arkansas Times.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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