Cattle-attacking Bear Culled in Hokkaido

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:30 JST, August 22, 2023

SAPPORO — A brown bear believed to have attacked 66 cattle in eastern Hokkaido has been culled, Hokkaido prefectural government sources have said.

According to the sources, DNA from the hair of the culled bear matches DNA from hair found at the sites of previous attacks.

The bear, called OSO18, began causing problems in July 2019 in the town of Shibecha. A total of 66 cattle had been attacked by the bear, 32 of which died.

Images of the bear taken in June this year indicate it was about 2.2 meters tall when standing up right.