The fatal bear attack on a Tucson man Friday was unprovoked, and the animal carcass is being tested for disease, the Arizona Game and Fish Department said in a news release.
Steven Jackson, 66, was sitting in a chair near the home he was building in the Groom Creek area south of Prescott when he was attacked by a black bear.
Neighbors reportedly tried unsuccessfully to scare the bear away and stop the attack.
The bear had dragged Jackson during the attack and was “in the process of consuming the man,” when a neighbor shot and killed the animal, the agency said in the news release.
Jackson was dead by the time officers with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona Game and Fish Department arrived.
The bear was a large adult male black bear, the only species found in Arizona.
The carcass will be examined and tested for disease by the department’s veterinarian and wildlife health specialist, Dr. Anne Justice-Allen, the release said. An initial evaluation of the adult male bear deemed it to be ‘healthy and in good condition,’ the Arizona Republic reported Friday.
“Our hearts go out to Mr. Jackson’s family over today’s tragic incident,” said Todd Geiler of Prescott, a member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission said in the release. “This was an especially aggressive, unprovoked attack that reminds us that wildlife can be unpredictable.”
Prescott is about 200 miles northwest of Tucson.
There have been 15 bear attacks on people in the state since 1990, the agency says.
This was the second fatal bear attack in Arizona since then, which is as far back as the department’s database tracks.
The first fatal bear attack in Arizona during that time occurred in Pinetop in 2011, the release said.
Go to www.azgfd.gov to find more information about living with bears in the area.
14 tips to stay safe as bears become more active in Arizona
Keeping bears away from your home
Updated
1. Take outdoor bird feeders down at night.
2. Keep all trash in a secured location until your trash is collected. If that’s not possible, keep your food waste in a bag in the freezer until pick-up day.
3. Don't leave uneaten pet or livestock food out for extended periods of time.
Keeping bears away while camping
Updated
1. Don't burn food scraps or trash at your grill or campfire.
2. Keep food and other animal attractants secured and out of reach of bears. Do not keep food inside your tent.
3. Set up your campsite away from wet places where bears often search for food, such as creeks and rivers.
Tips when hiking
UpdatedSky Island Alliance recorded a family of bears strolling through the western foothills of the Huachuca Mountains southwest of Sierra Vista on one of its Border Wildlife Study cameras.
1. Make noise while you hike or hike in groups.
2. Don’t wear strongly-scented lotions, deodorant, body sprays or perfumes.
3. Always keep your pet on a leash when taking them on a hike.
What do to if you encounter a bear
Updated
In a video captured by AZGFD, a bear can be seen foraging for acorns or pecans.
1. Do not run, that could cause the bear to chase you.
2. If attacked, do not play dead. Fight back instead.
4. Attempt to deter the bear, then back away slowly facing forward if the bear keeps approaching.
5. Make yourself look as big as possible by raising your arms or pulling your shirt or jacket higher than your head.
6. Throw items such as rocks or sticks and yell at the bear.
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