An man and his dog were mauled to death by a black bear in Jerome, Florida. The 89-year-old man's death marks the first fatality attributed to a black bear in state history.

A massive black bear, weighing close to 300 pounds, mauled to death an 89-year-old Florida man and his faithful dog — the first deadly attack in Sunshine State history. Robert Markel’s granddaughter called 911 on the morning of May 5,

New information on Florida’s first fatal bear attack revealed the culprit was a 263-pound black bear that broke into the man’s home and killed him and a dog, wildlife officials said. The male bear tested negative for rabies, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said May 9.