Police in Japan have issued warnings after three men were injured and one killed in separate bear attacks this week, amid growing alarm not only over the rising number of encounters but also over social media influencers who court danger by seeking out bears to boost their online profiles.
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A 46-year-old man was killed on Sunday in a forest close to the town of Omachi in Nagano prefecture as he was collecting bamboo shoots. A man who was with him called the police after he was bitten on his arm. But it was too late for his friend, who had been clawed in the face and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
On Thursday, two forestry workers were attacked by a bear in Agematsu, also in Nagano prefecture, as they were spraying deer repellent in a forest. One of the men was bitten in the face, while the other had bites and scratches on his leg as he tried to scare the animal away.
There have been other incidents involving bears coming unusually close to human habitation. On Thursday, Yamagata Airport cancelled 10 flights after a bear broke through the perimeter fence and was spotted wandering around close to the runway. Local hunters were not successful in trapping the creature.
Two schools in Goshogawara, Aomori prefecture, also had to cancel their joint sports day on Sunday and move it inside a gymnasium after four bears were sighted in the vicinity in the days leading up to the event, the local education authority told the Yomiuri newspaper.
Police in Hokkaido issued a warning to motorists on June 17 after a large bear broke out of a forest alongside a road and collided with a car being driven by a woman close to the town of Kushiro. They also cautioned anyone going into the mountains to pick wild vegetables to take precautions, such as making loud noises to warn bears of their approach and carrying bear spray.