Black bears have increasingly been seen in urban areas. Read here about where and when black bears are active, and how to stay safe.

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. This tragic loss ...

Florida black bear hunting is illegal, but this regulated season could allow for 187 black bears to be killed.

A Florida black bear was captured on video swimming in the Gulf off a Naples Beach May 30, 2025. ... There was no sign of Robert Markel, 89, and his trailer was in disarray, ...

Robert Markel, 89, and his dog were not killed at the same time, according to the FWC which believes more than one bear was involved. That night, FWC officers killed the three bears in the area.

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.

Florida authorities found Robert Markel and his dog deceased on May 5 following a bear attack on Markel's property near Jerome, a small unincorporated community 30 miles east of Naples, according ...

FWC is scheduled to vote on the bear hunt one final time in August, and then it's expected that 187 permits will be issued.

Various unscientific polls show that the public largely doesn't want a bear hunt in the Sunshine State. FWC held the first vote on the issue in May, just a few weeks after Robert Markel and his ...

Various unscientific polls show that the public largely doesn't want a bear hunt in the Sunshine State. FWC held the first vote on the issue in May, just a few weeks after Robert Markel and his ...