PRESCOTT, Ariz. — The bear that killed a man near Prescott earlier in the month tested negative for rabies, reinforcing that this was "an unprovoked predatory attack," Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) officials said.
Steven Jackson was attacked on June 16 at his property in the Groom Creek area south of Prescott. Jackson was at a campsite where he had been building a cabin when he was attacked by an adult male black bear and dragged 75 feet down an embankment.
The bear was shot and killed by a neighbor in the area, but Jackson did not survive the attack.
AZGFD officials performed a necropsy on the bear to learn more about what may have been behind the attack. Doctors found that the bear was a 7 to 10-year-old adult male black bear that was "in good condition with no apparent signs of disease." The animal showed no signs of starvation.
Officials also tested the bear's brain stem for rabies, and the results were negative. There has only been one recorded case of a bear testing positive for rabies in Arizona, in 1971.
The department summarized their findings, saying that "this bear acted in what appeared to be an unprovoked predatory attack by the animal. Bears are predators, and when acting aggressively toward humans can attack, injure and kill."
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Las autoridades no encontraron signos de rabia en el oso que mató a un hombre cerca de Prescott
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.