title: Case report of a fatal bear attack documented by forensic wildlife genetics.
abstract: Fatal bear attacks on humans are extremely rare across Europe. Here we report a fatal bear attack on a man in Bulgaria. We used microsatellite analysis for bear individualization based on hair samples found near the man's corpse. The genetic profile of the killing bear was compared to that of a bear shot three days later near the killing scene. Our results show that the wrong bear has been shot. Shortly after our results were reported a second person was attacked by a bear nearby. This case documents the importance of forensic DNA analysis following severe wildlife attacks in order to improve wildlife management actions in regions were direct human-bear conflicts are likely to happen.
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Research Institutes and Natural History Museums, Conservation Research Section, Clamecystrasse 12, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frosch
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dutsov
authors.forename: Georgi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Georgiev
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nowak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D001503:Ursidae / Q000235:genetics*