Two Fatal Black Bear Attacks in Arkansas in 2025, First Time in Over a Century

Black bears in northern Wisconsin, courtesy Dean Weingarten
 

Two fatal bear attacks occurred in Akansas in 2025. The first attack occurred on September 3, 2025, near the Mulberry Mountain area of north west Arkansas. The second attack happened on October 1st or 2nd, near the Sam’s Throne campground near Mount Judea. The two attacks happened in or on the edge of the Ozark National Forest, about 45 miles apart.

The last fatal bear attack recorded in Arkansas occurred in 1892, as reported from the May 10 edition of the Arkansas Democrat. From aktimes.com:

 Mountain Home, Ark., May 10 — Mrs. Mary Carter, a widow, with a small family of children, is a raving maniac, as the result of a raid upon her little cabin by a half-starved black bear, in which two of her children lost their lives and one [was] half devoured before assistance arrived. Her five children were playing in the yard while the mother was engaged in scrubbing. Suddenly the screams of the children startled her. She saw an enormous bear strike down her oldest boy, who had bravely attempted to defend the children in his charge. The beast seized the baby and ran rapidly away. The animal tore the little one to pieces before the mother’s eyes and escaped to the forest.

Black bears were reduced to a small remnant by 1927.  The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission prohibited bear hunting in that year. An active program of reintroducing black bears was but into effect from 1956 to 1968. in  No bear hunting season was allowed until 1980.

The first fatal bear attack in 2025 in Arkansas was covered on AmmoLand.

A 72-year-old man, Vernon Patton, was working on a gravel road with his tractor when a 70-pound juvenile male black bear attacked him. The attack happened on September 3, 2025, in the Mulberry Mountain area of Arkansas.  The attack occurred near Highway 23, just south of the Mulberry Mountain lodge. Vernon’s son came by to check on him. The son saw his father being attacked and drove off the bear by throwing rocks at it.

This is the smallest black bear to successfully kill a human in a predatory attack, of which this correspondent is aware.

The second fatal bear attack in Arkansas occurred on October 1st or Second near Sam’s Throne campground. The campground is about 45 miles to the north east of the location of the Mulberry Mountain attack. The victim of the attack at the Sam’s throne campground appears to have been sleeping on a cot, in the open, when the attack occurred. The Newton County Sherriff, Glenn Wheeler released several updates on the incident.  The bear in the Sam’s Throne incident has been describes as male black bear about 150 to 170 lbs. Pictures of the suspected bear were sent by the victim, Max Thomas, 60, of Springfield Missouri, to his family, before the attack occurred. Max was dragged about 40 yards into the woods.

Searches on the Internet indicate a Max Thomas of the correct age was a successful businessman, husband and father. He was married to the now widowed Mrs. Thomas for 35 years.

Bear populations and bear attacks have been increasing over the last several decades in North America, Asia, and Europe. There is good documentation in Japan, Europe, and North America. It is more difficult to find documentation for the area covered by the former Soviet Union and China.

Bear attack numbers have been increasing. They are not common. There are usually less than four fatal bear attacks per year in North America. Japan has more fatal bear attacks on average than does the United States. Japan has had seven fatal attacks so far in 2025. The United States has had three fatal bear attacks in 2025. Canada did not record any fatal bear attacks in 2025 so far.

The populations of both humans and bears are increasing. Bears have received more protection by governments than ever before in history. Bears learn to avoid humans by learning humans are dangerous to be near. The less bears fear humans, the more likely bears are to attack humans.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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