The bear refused to let go until one local fired his rifle and killed the bear.(Representative pic)
A 66-year-old man in the United States was mauled to death by a black bear that attacked him unprovoked while he was drinking his morning coffee on Friday. In a Facebook post, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said that the man, identified as Steven Jackson, died in Arizona during the attack and the bear too was killed by a neighbour who was trying to save the man's life.
"From multiple witness accounts and preliminary investigation of the scene, Mr. Jackson had been sitting having coffee at a table on his property where he was building a home," the sheriff's office said in the post, adding it was a remote, heavily wooded area.
"It appears that a male black bear attacked Mr. Jackson, taking him unaware, and dragged him approximately 75 feet down an embankment," the officials added.
As per the social media post, neighbours who heard the 66-year-old screaming for help tried to deter the wild animal by shouting and honking their car horns, but the bear refused to let go until one local fired his rifle and killed the bear.
"Unfortunately, by that time Mr Jackson has succumbed to his horrible injuries," the sheriff's office said.
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Officials from Arizona Game and Fish believe that the bear's aggression was a "predatory" response. This kind of attack is "highly uncommon and unusual, with only one other fatal attack known since the mid-1980s." the sheriff's office stated.
"At first glance there did not appear to be anything on the site that would have precipitated a attack by the bear, such as food, a cooking site or access to water," it added.
Further, according to CNN, officials explained that the incident did not seem like a female bear protecting her cubs, but law enforcement is still gathering the facts about what occurred.
"We have had no other reports that would indicate that the public is in danger. Please do not shoot any bear unless there is an immediate threat. It is against the law to shoot any bear unless there is a threat to your safety or the safety of others," said the sheriff's office in another post.