Florida wildlife officers kill three black bears after a bear killed a man and dog

JEROME, Fla. (AP) — Florida wildlife officers have killed three black bears in southwest Florida following a fatal attack on a man and a dog a day earlier, officials said Tuesday.

DNA samples from the bears and the attack scene have been sent to a Gainesville lab for testing to determine if any of the animals killed 89-year-old Robert Markel near his home early Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement. The attack occurred in a rural area east of Naples, just south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area.

Wildlife officers secured the area and set several traps and cameras Monday night, officials said. Out of an abundance of caution, officials urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid the area.

Florida’s black bears, which were once threatened, have increasingly wandered into neighborhoods and private property in recent years, especially in more rural areas of north and central Florida.