Newly released 911 calls captured pleas for help after an 89-year-old man and his dog were killed by a bear in southwest Florida.
Robert Markel was discovered dead along with his dog at his home near the community of Jerome in Collier County after authorities were called shortly after 7 a.m. Monday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson George Reynaud said.
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WATCH HEREIn the 911 calls, a dispatcher asked a caller if Markel had run away from the bear.
Dispatcher: "Do you think that maybe he ran from the bear?"
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Caller: "He's 89, he can't run. He can't even walk without falling over. "
The caller also told dispatchers "I’m putting my clothes on and taking my gun, and I’m going to look for this bear."
Officials said Markel and his dog were found in different areas within a couple hundred yards of each other.
Since then, wildlife officers said they have killed three black bears.
DNA samples from those three bears have been sent to a lab for testing
