Family Says Arkansas Bear Mauling Victim, 72, Will Not Survive His Injuries
The euthanized juvenile bear tested negative for rabies according to state wildlife officials investigating the rare attack.
Overview
- The family of Vernon Patton says he remains in intensive care in Little Rock, but his injuries are extensive and ultimately not survivable.
- Patton was attacked on Sept. 3 near Mulberry Mountain while spreading gravel with a tractor, and his son witnessed the mauling and threw rocks at the bear.
- He was airlifted to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville for surgery before being transferred to UAMS in Little Rock.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission officers killed a roughly 70-pound juvenile male black bear; tests returned negative for rabies and distemper, and a necropsy is part of the ongoing inquiry.
- AGFC characterizes the incident as highly unusual in Arkansas, citing no documented bear attacks on humans in at least 25 years.