Care Home Resident in Critical Condition After Apparent Bear Attack in Akita Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:16 JST, August 1, 2025

AKITA — A 73-year-old woman was left unconscious after apparently being attacked by a bear at a facility for people with disabilities in Kita-Akita, Akita Prefecture, on Thursday, police said.

The woman was a resident of the facility.

According to the Akita Prefectural Police, another resident found the woman groaning and bleeding on the grounds of the facility at around 11 p.m. that day. She suffered injuries to her face and head. The facility’s surveillance camera captured her being attacked head-on by a black animal about one meter long just after leaving the front entrance holding a garbage bag.

The prefectural government said that on July 25, a bear cub had been sighted walking in a roadside drainage ditch near the scene. The area is dotted with welfare facilities and houses and is roughly three kilometers west of Odate-Noshiro Airport. Police have urged residents in the vicinity to exercise caution.