Japan saw a steady stream of bear attacks last year. Although the number of incidents decreased with the onset of hibernation, reports of “bear sightings” have begun to surface again across the country as the weather warms up. According to Japanese media reports, a hunter shot and hit a wild bear in the mountainous area of Shimamaki Village, Hokkaido, on Sunday afternoon (April 26), but was attacked in return, sustaining severe injuries to his face and head.<\/p>\n
According to reports, in Suttsu, Hokkaido, a 69-year-old male member of the local hunters’ association was participating in a “spring culling hunt” with several others at around 5:05 am on Sunday to reduce the bear population near residential areas. During the hunt, he fired at a wild bear upstream in a stream and hit it; however, the bear did not die. After tumbling down the slope, it got back up and attacked him.<\/p>\n
Reports indicate that this is the first bear attack in Hokkaido this year, while a man in his 50s in Fukushima Prefecture was also attacked by a bear on the same day and hospitalized with injuries.<\/p>\n
(Video source: HBC\u30cb\u30e5\u30fc\u30b9, Hokkaido Broadcasting)<\/p>\n
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