Hiker Tried to Fight Off Bear Before Being Dragged into Forest, Friend Says. His Body Was Just Found
NEED TO KNOW
A hiker was attacked by a brown bear on Aug. 14 while hiking Mount Rausu
A friend witnessed the victim being dragged into a forest by the animal
Authorities confirmed that the body of the victim was found on Aug. 15 on the mountain
Officials in Japan said a body found on a mountain is that of a missing hiker who was attacked by a brown bear
The incident involving the male hiker and the animal occurred on Thursday, Aug. 14, on Mount Rausu in the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido, The Japan Times, The Japan News and NHK reported.
Police said the victim was walking a trail on Mount Rausu on Thursday morning when the attack happened, according to the Agence France-Presse.
The friend ran to help the victim and witnessed him trying to fight off the bear — before the animal dragged the victim into a forest, The Japan News and NHK reported.
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The friend, who was uninjured, reported the attack to police. They tried calling the victim's number but received no response.
On the morning of Friday, Aug. 15, police and searchers came across a piece of a shirt that may have belonged to the victim near where the friend contacted authorities, according to NHK. A wallet linked to the victim was also discovered.
Authorities said the victim was later found in the afternoon and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the AFP reported. He has been identified as 26-year-old Sota Keisuke, according to NHK.
An official also told the AFP that hunters captured and killed a bear near the trail. A DNA examination will be performed to determine whether that bear is connected to the victim's death.
Following the attack, authorities closed the mountain trail, The Japan Times reported.
Officials with the Hokkaido prefectural government said Thursday's incident was the first recorded bear attack in the Shiretoko Mountain Range, which includes Mount Rausu, in 63 years, according to The Japan News.
According to figures unveiled earlier this month, there were 11,600 brown bears in Hokkaido at the end of 2023, a decline of 500 from the previous year, the AFP reported.
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This latest incident comes nearly one month after a hunter in his 50s went missing also in Hokkaido — and just days after a brown bear was spotted in the area.
A friend informed authorities that the hunter never returned from his outing on Mount Esan on July 15, The Guardian, Kyodo News and The Japan News reported.
A gun believed to have belonged to the man was found near bloodstains, according to the reports. The disappearance came after a large brown bear was reported in the area on July 12.
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