Bear Culled in Iwate Prefecture; It May Have Mauled 81-Year-Old Woman to Death

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:39 JST, July 11, 2025

MORIOKA — A bear believed to have mauled an 81-year-old woman to death was culled Friday morning in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, according to police.

According to Kitakami Police Station, at around 5:30 a.m. on Friday, a resident in the area where the fatal attack occurred found a bear in front of the entrance to their house. The bear was shot dead in a nearby river by members of the local hunting club, who responded to the call. It was an adult measuring about 1.3 meters in length.

On July 4, an 81-year-old woman was found lying in her home after being attacked by a bear that had broken into her home. She was later confirmed dead at the hospital. The Kitakami city government believes there is a high possibility that the bear is the same one that attacked the woman, and will conduct DNA testing to confirm this.

Woman in Iwate Pref. Dies After Being Attacked by Bear in Home; First Fatal Bear Attack in House This Year