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Hunter Reported Missing After Possible Bear Attack in Japan’s Hokkaido; Police Using Helicopter to Search Area

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
A police car patrols in the town of Fukushima, Hokkaido, on Sunday, next to a sign that warns people of bears in the vicinity.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:52 JST, July 16, 2025

A hunter believed to have been attacked by a bear was reported missing in Hakodate, Hokkaido, on Tuesday, according to the police.

According to the Hokkaido prefectural police and local fire department, a deer hunter made an emergency call at Mt. Esan in the city saying that another hunter aged in his 50s had not returned. A hunting rifle believed to belong to the man was found on a forest road at the foot of the mountain. Bloodstains were also found nearby.

The police believe that the man may have been attacked by a brown bear and are using a helicopter to search for him. A brown bear was spotted near the forest road on Saturday.

In another part of Hokkaido, a 52-year-old man died after being attacked by a brown bear while delivering newspapers in the town of Fukushima on Saturday.