1st Bear Attack of Year in Hokkaido; Man in 70s Injured

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:51 JST, April 4, 2025

SAPPORO — A man in his 70s suffered injuries to his head and face after being attacked by a brown bear in the mountains of Bibai, Hokkaido, on Thursday, police and local fire departments said.

The man was thought to have sustained serious injuries but was reportedly able to speak when taken to hospital.

It is the first case of a person being injured by a bear in Hokkaido this year.

The man, a member of a hunting club, had gone into the mountains alone with a rifle to shoot deer. The bear fled after it attacked the man, who then ran to a nearby office building.