In Japan, three individuals have lost their lives in a single week due to bear attacks.
The Iwate Prefecture has been deeply affected by these recent events, where three people, including an elderly man gathering mushrooms and another man found decapitated, have been fatally attacked by bears.
Bear encounters resulting in attacks or fatalities have increased significantly in recent years, raising concerns among Japanese officials about the potential impact on tourism in certain areas.
During the summer, an 81-year-old woman in Iwate was killed by a bear in her home, and a 26-year-old died after a hiking trip in Hokkaido.
Now, there are growing fears with reports suggesting three more individuals may have faced a similar tragic fate.
Last Wednesday (October 8), authorities found a deceased man in Iwate, apparently another victim of a bear attack.
TV Iwate reported that the man’s head was separated from his body.
Subsequently, local police informed AFP that a man in his 70s went missing while foraging in the woods. By Friday (October 10), his body was discovered with injuries indicative of a bear mauling.
“We suspect he was attacked by a bear based on scratch marks,” officials stated regarding the pensioner’s death.
On Saturday (October 11), another man, aged 78, was found dead in Nagano Prefecture, showing similar claw marks on his body.
AFP was told by police that while they suspect a bear is responsible, the exact cause of death is under investigation.
Japan has experienced a rise in wild bear attacks in recent years, attributed to climate change and decreasing populations in certain regions.
Two bear species inhabit Japan: the Ussuri brown bear, which can weigh up to 1,210lbs, and the Asian black bear, weighing up to 440lbs.
Ussuri brown bears are primarily vegetarian but are territorial and can attack any prey entering their domain.
Asian black bears are omnivorous, consuming insects, fruits, nuts, birds, and small mammals.
The Environment Ministry of Japan reports that about 103 people across the country were injured by bears between April and September this year.
Last Monday (October 6), a 44-year-old Spanish tourist encountered a bear while heading to a bus stop in Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The following day, on Tuesday (October 7), a bear entered a supermarket in Numata City around 7.30pm local time, an unprecedented incident according to the store managers.
The Gunma Prefectural Government Office confirmed that the bear injured two individuals in the store.
“A bear entered a supermarket, injuring one man, and another man was attacked and injured by the bear when he noticed the bear at the entrance and tried to escape,” the office reported. Both men fortunately sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Last month, a bear reportedly entered an elderly nursing home by breaking through a window in Aizu Town, Fukushima Prefecture, but left without harming residents or staff.
Official records indicate at least six bear-related fatalities in Japan since April.
With the recent suspected deaths last week, it is likely that the agency may report a record number of bear-related fatalities this year.