The entrance to the climbing trail on Mount Rausu is seen restricted in Shari, Hokkaido, on Aug. 15, 2025. (Mainichi/Takeshi Honda)
SAPPORO — A man who was killed by a brown bear while climbing a mountain on the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido is believed to have been running alone until just before the attack, the prefectural government announced on Aug. 21.
The alleged fatal attack site on Mount Rausu in the town of Shari was a curve with poor visibility and a narrow trail.
The Hokkaido Research Organization reported these findings at a meeting of parties involved in brown bear countermeasures in Sapporo on the same day, based on interviews with relevant individuals and other investigations.
Meeting participants share information on current damage caused by brown bears and countermeasures at the Hokkaido Prefectural Government building in Sapporo on Aug. 21, 2025. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Katano)
The incident occurred on the morning of Aug. 14, and the man’s body was found the next day in a nearby forest. Three bears — a mother and two cubs — in the area were killed by hunters, and DNA analysis confirmed the mother bear was responsible for the attack.
The man in his 20s was hiking the 1,661-meter mountain with a companion. According to the prefectural government, he was carrying a bear bell, but is believed not to have had bear spray. The mother bear measured 140 centimeters in length and weighed 117 kilograms, while the cubs were each 71 to 72 centimeters long and weighed 17 kilograms.
(Japanese original by Hiroyuki Katano, Hokkaido News Department)
AloJapan.com