Bear Believed to have Killed Woman in Her House; Claw Marks Found on Her Body, Animal Footprints Left in Iwate Pref. Home

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:45 JST, July 4, 2025

A woman, 81, who died in her home in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, on Friday is believed to have been attacked by a bear, authorities said.

A family member who came to the house to visit the woman found her collapsed and bleeding in the living room and called police at around 7:40 a.m. on Friday. The woman was confirmed dead on the scene by police officers.

The victim had numerous claw marks all over her body, and hair and footprints from an animal believed to have been a bear were found inside the house, the police said. The case is being investigated on the presumption that it was a bear attack.

The victim’s home is located approximately 900 meters south of Yokokawame Station on the JR Kitakami Line, in an area dotted with rice paddies and houses.