On September 3, Vernon Pattan, age 72, was driving a small tractor in northwest Arkansas when he was attacked by a black bear and later died as a result of his injuries.
This attack was somewhat puzzling because Pattan was on the tractor mowing when the attack occurred; he had not deliberately provoked the attack.
But here is what is so bizarre about this incident: the bear, a very young male, weighed only 70 pounds — not much more than a cub, really.
Tests conducted on the cadaver of the bear later were negative for rabies or distemper.
Wildlife authorities in Arkansas have been stressing how unusual this attack was, as it was the first fatality in Arkansas resulting from a black bear attack in years.
