An Arizona man was mauled to death by a bear in an unprovoked, random attack on his property Friday morning, authorities said.
Tucson resident Steven Jackson, 66, was found dead next to the black bear in Groom Creek, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Jackson was outside drinking coffee on his property where he was building a home, when the animal began attacking him shortly before 8 a.m. local time.
“It appears that a male black bear attacked Mr. Jackson, taking him unaware, and dragged him approximately 75 feet down an embankment,” the sheriff’s office described.
After hearing Jackson’s screams, neighbors attempting to deter the bear by shouting and honking their car horns, but the animal did not relent.
A neighbor then retrieved his rifle and killed the bear according to Fox News.
“Unfortunately, by that time Mr. Jackson has succumbed to his horrible injuries,” the sheriff’s office’s press release said.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department told authorities that the incident was highly unusual, with a similar incident happening in the mid-1980s.
Officials are dumbstruck because there was nothing on site that would have necessarily attracted the bear.
Arizona Game and Fish Department officials believe the bear’s aggression was a “predatory response”, but they are unsure what caused it.
