Arkansas kills bear after fatal campsite mauling
Arkansas officials shot and killed a male black bear believed to have fatally mauled 60‑year‑old Max Thomas of Springfield, Missouri, whose body was found near his Sam's Throne campsite in the Ozark National Forest. Newton County Sheriff Glenn Wheeler said evidence at the scene indicated a struggle and drag marks; the bear was tracked by local hunters, killed and taken to Little Rock for DNA testing to confirm it was the same animal seen on trail cameras. State wildlife officials noted this is the second recent fatal bear attack in Arkansas even as ecologists stress such attacks remain exceedingly rare.
Public Safety
Environment
📌 Key Facts
- Victim: Max Thomas, 60, of Springfield, Missouri; body discovered Thursday near Sam's Throne campground in Newton County, Ark.
- Response: Local hunters and hounds tracked a male black bear; authorities shot the bear and transported it to Little Rock for DNA sampling to confirm the match.
- Official findings & context: The state medical examiner ruled the death an 'animal mauling'; Arkansas has seen a recent rise in bear numbers since mid‑20th‑century reintroductions (estimates cited around 5,000 bears statewide).