COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Days after an elderly man was found dead, his remains have been discovered inside a captured bear, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The man — identified as 89-year-old Robert Markel — was reported missing from his home in Collier County on Monday morning, with signs of “recent disturbances” that may have been caused by bears, FWC investigators reported.

As a result, FWC officials responded to the area, eventually finding Markel’s body around 100 yards from his home.

While the investigation is still underway, the Collier County Medical Examiner determined that the primary cause of Markel’s death was “consistent with injuries caused by a black bear.”

In a release, the FWC announced that investigators were able to determine three key findings while examining the scene:

• There was evidence of a physical encounter between a bear and a person near Markel’s home.

• A dog recently killed by a bear was close to the person.

• There were signs that a bear had entered Markel’s home.

Following this discovery, FWC investigators said they trapped and killed three adult male bears that were in the area to determine the culprit behind the attack.

“Necropsy results revealed that one bear (263-pound male) contained the partial remains of Markel,” the release reads. “DNA results received on Friday, May 9, positively identified that the 263-pound male’s DNA was present on Markel, inside his residence and on the dog’s body.”

In the wake of this news, the FWC reminded members of the public that it’s rare for wild black bears to injure people in Florida, though people have been bitten and scratched by bears — most often when there are cubs, food sources or dogs present.

Since the 1970s, only 42 incidents have been recorded where a person has had physical contact with a bear. Of those, only three results in serious injuries.

For more information about what to do if a bear approaches you, visit the FWC’s website here.