Man Killed in Bear Attack in Northeastern Japan

Higashinaruse, Akita Pref., Oct. 24 (Jiji Press)–A bear attack in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Akita left one man dead and three others injured on Friday. At around 11:10 a.m., an emergency call was made reporting that a person had been attacked by a bear in the Tagonai district of the village of Higashinaruse. According to police and other sources, four people suffered injuries to their faces and heads and were taken to a hospital. Yoshiyuki Sasaki, 38, one of the four, was left unconscious after the attack and was confirmed dead around 4:20 p.m. The remaining three are conscious, but all are said to be seriously injured. Village officials and others said a bear was culled near the scene at around 1:20 p.m. The adult female, about 1.2 meters long and with bloodstains on its claws, is believed to have attacked the four individuals. According to local police, Sasaki is thought to have been attacked by the bear after hearing screams and going to the site. His father, 65, who rushed to the scene afterward, and a couple aged 76 and 72 were also attacked. The four were found lying near a car owned by the couple. The site is about 350 meters west of the Higashinaruse village office, in an area with homes, fields and forests. About an hour before the attack, a bear was spotted on a street some 400 meters south of the scene. In a separate incident in Akita, four men were attacked by a bear in the city of Yuzawa on Monday, and sustained injuries. As of 6 p.m. on Friday, the bear was still at the house belonging to one of the victims. Over the two days through Thursday, a total of five bears were culled in the Akita cities of Yokote and Senboku at the discretion of local governments. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]