Hunter Reported Missing amid Declaration of Bear Warning in Mountain Region Following Multiple Attacks
His disappearance comes shortly after a brown bear was spotted in the area, and a gun believed to be his was found near bloodstains
There has been a rising number of bear attacks in the area in recent yearsConcerns are rising about the welfare of a hunter who went missing in Hokkaido, Japan, only days after a brown bear was spotted in the area.
A friend informed authorities that the hunter — in his 50s — never returned from his outing on Mt. Esan on Tuesday, July 15, according to reports from The Guardian, Kyodo News, and The Japan News. Per reports, a gun believed to be the man's was found near bloodstains.
His disappearance comes after a large brown bear was reported in the area on Saturday, July 12.
The Japan News noted that police are searching for the hunter via helicopter.
In recent years, there has been an increased number of bear attacks in Japan, with a record-breaking 212 reported between April and November 2023, per The Guardian. The previous record was 158 attacks, which were recorded over the length of a full calendar year. Six of those attacks in 2023 were deadly.
The latest apparent attack comes shortly after the town of Fukushima, roughly 74 miles away from where the hunter went missing, issued the region's first bear warning following a deadly attack, according to Kyodo News.
Implemented in May 2022, the warning system encourages people to be extra vigilant and "not to leave food waste outside homes." The Guardian noted that there will also be round-the-clock patrols to help prevent additional attacks while the warning is in place.
It will remain in effect for a month and comes after a newspaper deliveryman was killed in an apparent bear attack on July 12. A hunt is out for the bear believed to be responsible for the attack, and it will be killed if found. The man was identified as Kenju Sato, 52, per The Guardian.
In April, Japan's government passed a new law that would allow "emergency shootings" of dangerous animals, such as bears, if they are coming too close to cities, according to reporting by Japan Wire.
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Current laws only allow hunters to take lethal action if there is an imminent threat to humans. However, the updated provision allows for the use of guns "when it is feared [a bear] will enter a residential area or it is deemed an urgent response is necessary to prevent a human being harmed."
The law, which will take effect from September, empowers local government to "restrict traffic and issue evacuation orders," per the outlet.
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