Man Killed By Bear In Arkansas After Sending Family Photos Of The Animal Moments Before His Death

Bears are not friends of humans, it’s just not in their nature.

Arkansas authorities reported on Thursday that a man was found dead at a campsite in what is believed to be a bear attack.

The Newton County Sheriff’s office noted that moments before the man was attacked by the bear he reportedly sent photos of a bear to his family.

CBS broke the story and provided further context:

A man found dead several yards outside an Arkansas campsite had sent pictures of a bear to his family Tuesday, the Newton County Sheriff’s office said in a statement Thursday.

Sheriff Glenn Wheeler said his office was called on Thursday from the man’s son. He told law enforcement his father – a 60-year-old man from Missouri – was camping at Sam’s Throne near the town of Mt. Judea and hadn’t checked in with his family in several days. A deputy sheriff went to the campsite and found the man’s truck and campsite.

“The campsite had been disturbed and there was evidence of a struggle and injury. There were also drag marks leading from the campground into the woods,” the statement said.

The man was found several yards outside the campsite, and his body had extensive injuries consistent with those expected from a large carnivore attack. The name of the victim has not been released.

“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,” Wheeler said.

The sheriff said his office was working with multiple law enforcement agencies, dogs and hunters in an effort to locate the bear, which appears to be a young male from the photos. He asked residents to keep an eye out because once bears behave in a predatory manner, it tends to continue.

But the sheriff cautioned, it is “very early in the investigation,” and he doesn’t want it to become “open season” on any bear that someone may see.

The Sam’s Throne campsite has been closed until further notice.

Missouri man mauled to death at Arkansas campsite after texting family photos of bear https://t.co/0zXbDr3xcu pic.twitter.com/MkskQkq9nq

— New York Post (@nypost) October 4, 2025

In May, a bear killed a  man and his dog in Florida, Naples Daily News:

A black bear attacked and killed a man and a dog in rural Collier County, Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife officials confirmed on May 5, 2025.

Collier County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 7:07 a.m. report of a bear mauling on State Road 29, between Naples and Everglades City.

When officers arrived about an hour later, they found a person and a dog had been attacked and killed by a black bear.

It was the second time this year a black bear attacked a person and both incidents involved a dog.

According to FWC records, a female black bear attacked a person on Feb. 15 in the Marion County community of Silver Springs. A dog was also involved in that incident.

Per FWC, the last 15 cases involving physical contact between a person and a black bear in Florida involved dogs, as did more than half of all 42 cases dating back to 2006.