US EditionDNA reveals wrong bear euthanized after fatal attack at an Arkansas campground
DNA testing by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission proved the euthanized bear was not involved, and the responsible animal remains at large in the Ozark National Forest.
- AGFC announced Thursday that DNA from the black bear euthanized in Newton County on Oct. 4 does not match the bear that killed Max Thomas at Sam's Throne Campground, the Veterinary Forensic Science Laboratory at the University of Florida confirmed.
- Using DNA analysis, AGFC biologists euthanized a bear on Oct. 4 that did not match the attacker, based on forensic results, with local hunters and hounds aiding the effort.
- Thomas was found Oct. 2 at Sam's Throne Campground in the Ozark National Forest, with signs of a struggle and his body dragged about 180 feet into the woods.
- Sam's Throne Campground and surrounding public areas will remain closed while AGFC search and monitoring teams continue efforts to locate the responsible bear, adjusting strategy after forensic data and noting traps recorded only one bear.
- The Arkansas bear incidents in 2025 include a Sept. 3 attack that killed Vernon Patton, with authorities urging the public to secure food and report aggressive bears to 833-356-0824, as the search continues after the wrong bear was euthanized Thursday.
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36 Articles
Hartford Courant
union-bulletin.comWrong bear killed following fatal mauling at Ozark campground, Arkansas officials say
By Lauren Liebhaber, The Kansas City Star Arkansas wildlife officials announced they killed the wrong black bear in pursuit of an animal responsible for a fatal mauling at an Ozark National Forest campground in early October. The victim, identified as 60-year-old Max Thomas of Springfield, Missouri, was found dead Oct. 2 at Sam’s Throne Campground, according to a Thursday news release from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Authorities said …
Forensics show euthanized bear was not involved in attack
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Thursday announced that final DNA analysis from the Veterinary Forensic Science Laboratory at the University of Florida has confirmed that the DNA collected from the black bear killed in Newton County on Oct. 4…
Black bear killed in Northwest Arkansas wasn’t one that fatally mauled Missouri man, DNA test shows
The black bear shot and killed by an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologist in Newton County on Oct. 5 wasn't the bear responsible for the death of a 60-year-old man at Sam's Throne Campground in the Ozark National Forest.
Black bear killed in Northwest Arkansas wasn’t one that fatally mauled Missouri man, DNA test shows | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The black bear shot and killed by an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologist in Newton County on Oct. 5 wasn't the bear responsible for the death of a 60-year-old man at Sam's Throne Campground in the Ozark National Forest.
DNA reveals wrong bear euthanized after fatal attack at an Arkansas campground
The bear that Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) biologists euthanized earlier this year is not the same bear that killed a man who was camping at a campground in the Ozark National Forest, the commission discovered.
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