By Josie July 31st, 2023
It was early morning when he was sitting outside his campsite, having his morning coffee, when the bear attacked him.
The bear had dragged Jackson about 75 feet and was in the process of consuming him when a neighbour shot the bear.
The Black Bear is the only species that you can find in the state of Arizona, which is home to approximately 3,000 black bears
Bear attacks in Arizona are relatively rare, since the 80s, there’s only been 15 reported bear attacks.
The first, and only other, recorded fatal bear attack in Arizona took place on July 25, 2011.
Bears are most dangerous when they are hungry; emerging from hibernation or trying to gain weight for the winter.
Bears are also especially dangerous during their mating season, which is between June to mid-July for black bears.
Another risky time is when bears have become habituated to humans - they can lose their natural fear of humans and become aggressive in their attempts to get human food.