A man mauled at a remote campsite sent photos of a bear to his family before his death, Arkansas sheriff’s deputies said. The Arkansas State Crime Lab ruled the man’s death an animal mauling and the manner of death as an accident, the local sheriff’s office said in an Oct. 3 news release. DNA tests are pending to confirm he died from a bear attack.
The 60-year-old Missouri man had gone several days without checking in with family, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office said in an Oct. 2 news release. Two days earlier, on the morning of Sept. 30, the man sent his family pictures of a bear in his camp, at the Sam’s Throne recreation area, in Ozark National Forest.
A deputy found the man’s campsite disturbed, with evidence of struggle and injury. Drag marks led from the campground into the woods, where the man’s body was found several yards away. The man had extensive injuries consistent with a large carnivore attack.
Officials haven’t released the man’s name. The local sheriff’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Oct. 4.
Officials are trying to find the bear, including with the help of local hunters whose dogs are used to hunt bears. The Sam’s Throne campground is closed until further notice.
