Body of elderly Florida man discovered in bear following fatal encounter.

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – A few days following the discovery of an elderly man’s remains, they have been found within a captured bear, as reported by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The man, identified as 89-year-old Robert Markel, was declared missing from his Collier County residence on Monday morning. Investigators from FWC noted signs of “recent disturbances” likely linked to bears.

As a result, FWC officials responded to the area, eventually finding Markel’s body around 100 yards from his home.

As the inquiry continues, the Collier County Medical Examiner concluded that Markel’s death resulted primarily from injuries consistent with a black bear attack.

In a release, the FWC announced that investigators were able to determine three key findings while examining the scene:

• There was evidence of a physical encounter between a bear and a person near Markel’s home.

• A dog recently killed by a bear was close to the person.

• There were signs that a bear had entered Markel’s home.

Following this discovery, FWC investigators said they trapped and killed three adult male bears that were in the area to determine the culprit behind the attack.

“Necropsy results revealed that one bear (263-pound male) contained the partial remains of Markel,” the release reads. “DNA results received on Friday, May 9, positively identified that the 263-pound male’s DNA was present on Markel, inside his residence and on the dog’s body.”

In the wake of this news, the FWC reminded members of the public that it’s rare for wild black bears to injure people in Florida, though people have been bitten and scratched by bears — most often when there are cubs, food sources or dogs present.

Since the 1970s, only 42 incidents have been recorded where a person has had physical contact with a bear. Of those, only three results in serious injuries.

For more information about what to do if a bear approaches you, visit the FWC’s website here.