Arkansas wildlife officials announced Thursday that they killed the wrong black bear while investigating a fatal mauling at an Ozark National Forest campground earlier this month.
Forensic testing confirmed that the bear euthanized in Newton County did not match the DNA gathered from 60-year-old Max Thomas of Missouri, the victim of the October 2 attack at Sam’s Throne Campground, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission revealed in a news release.
“While we are disappointed that the initial search did not neutralize the threat, our commitment to public safety remains paramount,” AGFC Director Doug Schoenrock said in a statement.
“We acted decisively based on the best evidence available at the time, and now that we have definitive forensic data, we are adjusting our strategy. Our teams will continue to work tirelessly to find the bear,” he added.
Three days after the attack, a bear was photographed near the site where Thomas was killed. Authorities compared it to a photo Thomas had sent of a bear at his campsite two days before his death and determined it was likely the same juvenile male based on size and facial markings.
Authorities were initially confident that they had killed the responsible bear.
“I feel extremely confident this is the bear we have photographs of from the scene of the attack,” Newton County Sheriff Glenn Wheeler said in an October 5 news release, noting that DNA matches would be needed “to be 100 percent certain.”
“This is a relief to me and the community, and I thank God for this outcome,” Wheeler continued. “This was a dangerous bear.”
Since the attack, the AGFC has monitored the area with traps and game cameras, but says only one bear, the one they killed, has been spotted on camera, and no bears have been captured in the traps.
The NCSO discovered Thomas’ body on October 2 after his son reported him missing. A welfare check revealed signs of a struggle and drag marks into the woods.
Officials say they will continue searching for the bear responsible for the fatal attack, keeping Sam’s Throne Campground and nearby areas closed to ensure public safety.
