Following a tragic incident last week where a 66-year-old Tucson man was fatally attacked by a bear at a central Arizona campsite, authorities have confirmed that the animal tested negative for rabies. A necropsy performed by Arizona Game and Fish Department veterinarian Anne Justice-Allen revealed no apparent signs of disease in the adult male black bear. The victim, Steven Jackson, was killed on his property near Prescott, approximately 100 miles north of Phoenix. While officials believe the bear acted in an unprovoked predatory manner, the immediate cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by a neighbor attempting to halt the attack. Although legal restrictions exist regarding shooting bears in Arizona, exceptions are made in cases of immediate threat. The bear's brain stem was subsequently tested for rabies at the state Department of Health Services laboratory, with negative results. This aligns with Arizona's historical data, which shows only one instance of a rabid bear recorded back in 1971.
