Officials say lab results have connected one of three black bears killed by wildlife officers in southwest Florida to a fatal attack on a man and his dog a day earlier.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has concluded its initial investigation into what is now confirmed be the first fatal black bear attack in the state.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says the remains of one of the three black bears killed earlier this week have been found to contain the partial remains of 89-year-old Robert Markel.