Bear suspected in 2 fatal attacks years apart in Hokkaido killed; DNA samples link cases
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A residential area in Hokkaido, Japan, where a brown bear was shot dead by a hunter on July 18.
PHOTO: THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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SAPPORO – The DNA of a bear killed on July 18 matches that of one that killed a 52-year-old newspaper deliveryman in a residential area of Fukushima, Hokkaido, a week ago.
The bear is likely the same one that killed a 77-year-old woman in a mountainous part of the town four years ago, according to the Hokkaido prefectural government.
The male bear, which measures 208cm in length and weighs 218kg, was shot dead by a hunter early on the morning of July 18 in a residential area about 1km south-east of where the latest attack occurred, according to the Fukushima town government and the prefectural police.
According to the prefectural government, the Hokkaido Research Organisation in Sapporo had confirmed that DNA from bear fur samples collected from the residential area where the man was attacked matched samples collected in July 2021 near the woman’s body, indicating that both samples belong to the same male bear. The DNA also matched the killed bear.
The distance between the residential and mountainous areas is about 3km. The male victim showed signs of having been dragged by the bear, and a hole seemingly dug to conceal a body was found where the woman’s remains were discovered.
“Hunters must act in teams to ensure safety while solving problems with urgency,” said Hokkaido Ryoyukai hunters’ association chairman Atsushi Horie.
Rakuno Gakuen University professor Yoshikazu Sato said: “It’s understood that if a bear has attacked a human once, it’s likely to do it again. Now it’s been reaffirmed that unless such a bear is immediately dealt with, it will lead to further victims.” THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
