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Death of man attacked by bear sparks conversation about what to do when facing one

67 Comments
By Katy Kelly, SoraNews24

Close to 11 a.m. on April 10, a resident of Kushiro City in Hokkaido who had traveled to the mountains to pick edible flora with his wife was attacked by a brown bear and died shortly after. Though his wife called emergency services as soon as she heard her husband scream and witnessed him being attacked by a “black, bear-like animal”, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death appeared to be the crushing of his head and throat.

Though the emergency services who arrived at the scene were unable to locate the animal responsible, this is unfortunately not an especially unexpected occurrence. Experts warn that bears that have just woken up from hibernation are the most likely to encounter humans, as they wander further afield in search of food. Adding to this peril is the fact that brown bear populations are on the rise in Hokkaido, which increases the risk of an encounter.

In the wake of this unfortunate incident, a representative of the Hokkaido Hunting Association expressed his anguish at it happening despite reports of bear sightings in the area and went on to share advice for bear encounters in general.

First, he dismissed the effectiveness of bear bells, small bells that jingle as you walk, and said that their only true purpose was to give their wearers peace of mind. In actuality he says that the bells ring so quietly they tend not to be audible to bears until it’s too late, meaning a better course of action is to walk loudly and speak in strong, clear voices to ensure that a bear doesn’t accidentally stumble upon you.

Of course, he concedes, this doesn’t stop bears from encountering you anyway. And in that instance, the only advice he can really offer is to be willing to fight for your life.

While tools like bear repellents can be useful, it’s unlikely that in the moment you will have the presence of mind or quick reflexes to pull out the safety pin to activate one. It would be better, if the bear looks likely to attack, to pierce its eyes or mouth with something you can manipulate from afar like a long stick or ski pole. At any rate, you should be willing to risk injury if it means you can get out with your life intact—bears are not meant to be trifled with.

There have been reports of a new generation of brown bears in Hokkaido that don’t hibernate, or at least can interrupt their hibernation in order to forage for food. As the odds of surviving an encounter with a brown bear are so low, please heed any warnings in your area, especially if you insist on venturing out to hike or forage for wild flowers this spring.

Source: Daily, LivedoorNews/Tokyo Sport via My Game News Flash

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Bear sightings skyrocket in Japanese town feuding with local hunting association

-- 82-year-old woman fights off bear in Japan: “I sent him flying”

-- Beautiful photos of the isekai-looking mountain that’s one of the Tokyo area’s best day-trips

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

67 Comments
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How about bear spray? it's like pepper spray but a lot more potent and has a longer range, and apparently is very effective on humans as well. I've camped in Canada before and at least one person in the group carries one just in case. Carrying firearms or melee weapons for self-defense in Japan is unfortunately out of the question.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Pepper spray seems easy tool

Or best, don't go alone and make noise often.

Otherwise stand your ground. Make yourself big.

Easier said than done ;)

11 ( +12 / -1 )

*Condolences to the widow and family.*** **Once a bear attacks the throat and head there is little to be done.

Love the outdoors and spring. However, bears are emerging from hibernation. This is their domain. Groups and loud voices are the only precaution. If you are alone, they will become aggressive, thinking you are a threat to their food sources and mating. If you see one, get out of the area. In an full-on, charging attack, they are not intimidated by sprays and pole arms.

Once grappling with a bear, here is slim chance to survive: IF possible, turn over on your stomach and cover your head, face at throat with your hands & elbows. Curl into a tight, ‘fetal’ position, tucking your knees into your chest To protect your vital organs. Only after the bear perceives you are no longer a threat, or food, they may move away from you. Remain in that position until the bear is heard to be a distance away. Then, immediately leave the area. -
11 ( +11 / -0 )

Let Nature run it's course, stay out of their territory and you will have no problems.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

A very effective defense devise against a bear attack is a shotgun. It won’t kill the bear,

Yes it can.

but it’ll blind it and cause it agonizing pain.

This is also true as well

1 ( +8 / -7 )

A very effective defense devise against a bear attack is a shotgun. It won’t kill the bear, but it’ll blind it and cause it agonizing pain. This is far safer than what the article recommends:

Not that many people walk around with shotguns. For hikers, get bear spray.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

For hikers, get bear spray.

Not easy to get in Japan and costs a fortune. I have a couple of cannisters that a friend brought from Canada. Proper stuff, not the weedy personal protection ones that only spray a few feet.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Love the stupid advice about bringing a shotgun with you when it's next to impossible to get and carry one around here.

Bells do work, but just get one that's a bit loud.

Advice on what to do if a bear and you happen to see each other while there's still distance between you would've been nice to read. Back up? Turn and run? Keep eye contact with it? Another pretty worthless article.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

especially if you insist on venturing out to hike or forage for wild flowers this spring.

I've seen bears riding a road bike on tarmac roads five times, but have only seen one once running or mountain biking on woodland trails. That one was up a tree. If you ride a road bike on non-main roads in inaka, i.e., the best roads, it's all "bear country".

It's good to enjoy nature and I don't think its particularly nice or helpful to claim people "insist on hiking". The lesson of the story would appear to be "buy a bigger bell".

1 ( +4 / -3 )

If encountered a bear, race it down the mountain! This guy did in Romania this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-s9ybWdVH0

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Dont make eye contact and walk backward slowly, facing the bear. If the bear attacks, stand your ground.

An aluminum walking stick with a sharp end can help fending it off if it attacks.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

How about a mascot for this?

8 ( +10 / -2 )

When Mr Kipling goes hiking in bear country in Hokkaido he always take a friend, an exceedingly slow running friend.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

His poor wife to have to watch that. RIP.

I agree with the article regarding spray, but....because of last summer's bear attacks and shortages due to the pandemic, the bigger challenge might be trying to find any bear spray in stock in Tokyo or anywhere in Japan. The last time I checked L-Breath, they were out as well as the source in the States.

When I MTB on remote forested roads or trails, I sometimes use my ORP bicycle horn around blind corners. Obnoxious, but better safe than sorry. Louder than a ding-a-ling bell. FYI: https://orpland.com

2 ( +2 / -0 )

P. SmithToday  08:35 am JST

Love the stupid advice about bringing a shotgun with you when it's next to impossible to get and carry one around here.

The problem with your analysis is I wasn’t advising anyone to take a shotgun, I was merely explaining it is a good defensive devise against bears.

It’s almost as if you have to spell everything out in painful detail lest people twist your words.

The article is about Hokkaido, JAPAN so your point is utterly worthless. It's also wrong. The vast majority of wildlife and bear experts including the US Fish & Wildlife Service state that using firearms against bears can be even more dangerous and is not recommended. Bear pepper spray is a better defense.

http://www.bearsmart.com/docs/BearSprayVsBullets.pdf

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Carrying firearms or melee weapons for self-defense in Japan is unfortunately out of the question.

lol

What sort of "melee weapons" were you hoping to use against a bear?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

When Mr Kipling goes hiking in bear country in Hokkaido he always take a friend, an exceedingly slow running friend.

Same as me when scuba diving with sharks in Fiji.

serious note, bears live 3km from me. When I walk in the mountains with my dog, in bear season, I take either bear spray or the car emergency flare. But I only have black bears here, which I can knock out with an upper cut. Brown bears, I’m dead.

look them in the eyes, don’t show fear. Walk slowly backwards, be aware of your surroundings. Take off your jacket or backpack, place it on the ground slowly between you. The bear with be curious and sniff around it. As soon as you have a chance, run for your life.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Yeah the other good advice would be not to go pick edible flora in mountains where you must know that a)bears live and b)they've just woken up from hibernation. Just go buy a salad. This is closer to a darwin award than a tragic incident.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Never get agitated around a brown bear; that might work with a black bear but it sends grizzlies into a frenzy.

Never shoot a bear unless you're super confident you will kill it with one shot - which is extremely unlikely.

Bear spray is by far the best and safest defence mechanism - and BTW, there are no "safety pins"; there's a plastic thing that quickly slides off.

And, finally, bears have amazing hearing, so they will hear bells before they can be surprised by you coming up the path, the latter being what one is trying to avoid.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

P. SmithToday  10:25 am JST

The article is about Hokkaido, JAPAN so your point is utterly worthless.

You’re presupposing that only people in Japan read this site.

It's also wrong. The vast majority of wildlife and bear experts including the US Fish & Wildlife Service state that using firearms against bears can be even more dangerous and is not recommended. Bear pepper spray is a better defense. 

http://www.bearsmart.com/docs/BearSprayVsBullets.pdf

This is about bullets, not shotgun pellets. Thanks for your considered input though.

Several experts state that unless you hit the brain or spinal cord directly, the bear will only be wounded and become even more dangerous. If a bullet would have difficulty, shotgun pellets which are much smaller and dispersed over a wider area would be even less effective. Not surprisingly your points need to be fact checked. You can't fix stupid.

The article is about bear attacks in Japan. Where the poster is from is irrelevant.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Don’t confuse the cute black bears on Honshu with the brown bears found in Hokkaido. I’ve been close up to both, a black one in the wild in Nagano... It ran away. And a huge brown one in one of those horrendous “Ainu” theme parks in Hokkaido. It was locked in a tiny cage but such a huge powerful animal. If it wanted you dead, goodbye.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

P. SmithToday  10:43 am JST

Several experts state that unless you hit the brain or spinal cord directly, the bear will only be wounded and become even more dangerous. If a bullet would have difficulty, shotgun pellets which are much smaller and dispersed over a wider area would be even less effective. Not surprisingly your points need to be fact checked. You can't fix stupid.

Where do you have to hit a bear with spray for it to be effective? I’m the face, which is the same place where a shotgun blast would need to hit.

The article is about bear attacks in Japan. Where the poster is from is irrelevant.

I mentioned people who read this site, not those who post. Where they are from is relevant given shotguns are widely available in many countries.

*I posted the US Fish & Wildlife site and a simple Google search will provide other expert advice which you can easily do. I posted the information they provide as experts which clearly you're not if you actually think shotgun pellets would be more effective than bullets and that firearms are the best defense. Go check the sites and argue with the experts about bear pepper spray.

Shotguns and other firearms are not widely available in most developed countries as they have gun control. Getting a license can be a long and arduous process involving training, background checks, and registration. Wrong again.

The article is about bear attacks in Japan and your point about shotguns is not what the experts advise. You've refuted absolutely nothing.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

 It would be better, if the bear looks likely to attack, to pierce its eyes or mouth with something you can manipulate from afar like a long stick or ski pole.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. That it can be provided as a realistic advise just goes beyond my imagination? What to pierce a bear's mouth means? Look, I lived for 16 years in Hokkaido and I saw by my own eyes a brown bear. There is no way that the advise above would work against an animal that is 2m high and can weight until 400 kg, and which strength is terrifying. Those are brawn bear, not puppies. This animal will charge you at a striking speed and crunch you if you even wave anything against him.

Now the first advice is just not to go inside bear territories for picking flora just after their woke up. That's the smartest thing to do. Bear don't feed on people but they are particularly aggressive after their hibernation and will feel threatened if they encounter a person. If you insist to do so, better is to go with a national park guide who has experience with bears and may also own a weapon.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

If you encounter a bear, just don't run. Just don't. Don't show your back and run. As someone said above, just slowly go back facing him, eyes down with minimal sudden movements. Bears usually don't attack out of nowhere as they are not hunting you. They will first use a threatening behavior, and it's very scary, to show you that you have no business to mess with them. Waving anything will trigger an attack.

If you see clues on your way of a recent presence of a bear, like poop or the mark of claws on trees, just go back, don't continue your way. A bell loud enough does usually work to signal your presence. However as a I said, just after waking up form hibernation, they are usually nervous and it might just stress them more.

The best weapon one can own here is indeed a spray if you can trigger it fast enough. That's the best thing you can do if a bear decides to attack you and hope that he just gives up. But in any case, if the attack occurs, well the first thing you should think is that I am screwed.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

daito_hakToday  11:15 am JST

 It would be better, if the bear looks likely to attack, to pierce its eyes or mouth with something you can manipulate from afar like a long stick or ski pole.

*This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. **That it can be provided as a realistic advise just goes beyond my imagination? What to pierce a bear's mouth means? Look, I lived for 16 years in Hokkaido and I saw by my own eyes a brown bear. There is no way that the advise above would work against an animal that is 2m high and can weight until 400 kg, and which strength is terrifying. Those are brawn bear, not puppies. This animal will charge you at a striking speed and crunch you if you even wave anything against him.*

Hilarious and sad at the same time as he's spreading falsehoods and claims to know more than the experts yet most likely has zero actual experience.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Make a lot of noise when you are in the forest and you won’t be faced with one. People are attacked by bears because they either surprise it or it is protecting its young. Places where bears populate in Japan are well documented. If a bear knows you are coming it will be long gone before you see it.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The best defence against a bear attack is surely to stay out of bear country. Forget the 'edible flora', eat a salad. Or sow your own seeds.

All this talk about how best to hurt a wild animal being encroached upon in his own environment. Just leave him be. Go home.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Bear spray. Easy to get online in Japan.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Hilarious and sad at the same time as he's spreading falsehoods and claims to know more than the experts yet most likely has zero actual experience.

What are you talking about? Who is he? What false claims are you talking about? Why don’t you first try to write properly your post in the first place?

Well yeah go and try to pierce the eyes of a brawn bear with a ski pole and see how it goes? Be my guest.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Do you not go into the countryside? I ask because that is the only way to 100% prevent attacks from wild animals.

I live in the countryside. I do not go rummaging around in the wild foresty bits looking for snacks, and I certainly do not go places where there are signs like that in the photo.

That still doesn't prevent encounters, of course; one of our dogs once had a slanging match against a civet cat that wandered into our garden, we get the occasional snake and there are lizards and frogs aplenty.

The civet cats make it very difficult to grow sweetcorn in the allotment. They also mess around with the cucumbers and tomatoes if they aren't properly netted.

Don't see any need to go looking for trouble on its own turf and hurting it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

1,200 pounds of bite pressure. Without a gun or bear spray, you'd better be prepared to fight like hell with anything you can lay your hands on. Man, that's a scary situation. I guess I'd try to remain as still as possible and make myself to be as large as possible, but if that doesn't work then it's a fight for your life. Frightening.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I thought the advice was "If its brown lay down, if its black fight back"

The idea that playing dead and hoping it'll eventually leave you alone is the best course of action for brown bears and trying to scare them off works better for black bears.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I was longboarding in Nagano and had a black bear jump out of the trees and cross the road I was riding on. It was no doubt watching me and when I got about 50m away it made its move.

In August and September we have bear sightings announced over the community loud speaker most days of the week.

My sighting was in August at around 5pm.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I've seen bears riding a road bike on tarmac roads five times

First they skip the hibernation period, and next they take notes from their captive circus bear friends and start riding bikes.

When I lived in Inaka, I only ever lived in areas with black bears, which as most on here know, are a very different, smaller, and more timid animal to deal with as opposed to the Hokkaido brown bears. For the black bears and children, the bells worked quite well. One child was still attacked in my old area because he was late for school and running along a forest road, and being late, he'd forgotten his bear bell, so chanced upon an equally panicked black bear (he survived, but required extensive hospital treatment).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

CapuchinToday 12:47 pm JST

I thought the advice was "If its brown lay down, if its black fight back"

The idea that playing dead and hoping it'll eventually leave you alone is the best course of action for brown bears and trying to scare them off works better for black bears.

That's how we were taught in Montana growing up....I've stepped in a still-warm bear pile barefoot after crossing a river; I've spooked a griz in a mountain meadow--it looked at me, I froze back, and off it went in the direction of my required back-country camping spot for the night--the inevitable critter rustlings made for a long, miserable night ; I've been rushed at night while doing the midnight-moonlight Logan Pass bike ride--I turned tail and yelled "bear" to my chums behind me...and pedaled for all I was worth knowing full well that since they were still going uphill, I was well safe...as usual it was a bluff charge and it went crashing into the night. And finally, I laughed my ass off at a young black bear trying to hide behind a birch sapling--it sidled along around the tree to keep it between us as I biked around them on a switchback--of course both sides of its body stuck out at least a foot on each side. In short, I've seen bears, but been lucky enough not to get into a confrontation.

But back to your point...you're like a mosquito to a mighty grizzly, so getting up in its face is a really bad idea...play dead and it's likely to go away once it's confirmed you're really not a threat. But the black bear has a little Napoleon complex...it has to show you who's boss and won't let up until you are well and truly dead. And then it'll go back and bite your neck again just to be sure. So, fighting is your only option...its nose is its soft spot--the only place you can hit that will hurt it enough to make it think twice about harassing further. Mind you, all bets are off with a mama, whether black or brown, if cubs are nearby.

Here in Hokkaido I've lived on the south side of Sapporo and we had sightings at a park 100 yards from my house every Spring. My wife was interviewed by the local TV station, and she told them we just stayed away when they are active--evening to early morning, so nothing to get one's panties in a twist about. Well, she didn't put it exactly like that. But as she failed to duly say how scary and dangerous bears were, they didn't put her on the evening news. And that's a shame, if we just realize we're in their territory and stay out of their way...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

In August and September we have bear sightings announced over the community loud speaker most days of the week.

The same in my corner of Nagano. Some sightings are "by the crossing next to Seven-Eleven" or from kids going to school, so its not a case of foolish people venturing into "bear country". In my opinion, that expression covers the entire prefecture minus the city centers.

In case you see some supposed expert guessing that bears have appeared in populated areas due to "a lack of acorns", I would like to remind everyone that the population of wild deer in Japan is exploding. I think boar numbers are up too. I don't see why woods that provide food for ever more deer can no longer support an established number of bears, unless it's the deer's fault and the bears are being outcompeted. Any habitat destruction or climate change would affect the thriving deer as well as the supposedly nonthriving bears. Any genuine lack of acorns would probably also mean people spotting weak skinny bears, like the weak and skinny polar bears that have been photographed, not big strong ones capable of attacking people and causing serious injury.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hope your dog was okay.

I don't know who was more surprised, the dog or the civet. They both stood their ground yelling at each other for a few minutes, then the civet cat got wise and ran off.

I hang nets filled with dog hair around the allotment in the hopes that the doggy smell will keep wild veggie thieves at bay. Not sure if it works or is just coincidence, but last year damage was minimal.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You are even already arrested with a too long pocket knife or a visible toy gun...lol That means, in all those cases, the man made rules directly now act against ourselves, how stupid what human beings do to each other, by law and police enforced, wild animals’ life much more worth than your neighbor’s, crazy and unbelievable. Allow registered handguns for the villagers there or at least establish kind of a gun rental system , so that people who have to work there in the forest or fields can rent officially a gun for that short time, with full registration, mental check beforehand and of course written time protocols for the out-given and returned shells etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Please remove this wrongful advice from your website. Show a modicum of social responsibility.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

kohakuebisuToday 08:35 am JST

especially if you insist on venturing out to hike or forage for wild flowers this spring.

I've seen bears riding a road bike on tarmac roads five times, but have only seen one once running or mountain biking on woodland trails. That one was up a tree. If you ride a road bike on non-main roads in inaka, i.e., the best roads, it's all "bear country"

I am pretty sure I know what you mean, but it does seem like the bears are riding on the bike, not you.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Due to a lack of funds, a group of us camped out in Yellowstone National Park, when we were teenagers. I was awakened in the night by a grizzly pulling me by my feet as I slept in a sleeping bag. I don't know how, but I shot out of the sleeping bag like a rocket and jumped into the front seat of the car we were traveling in. We locked up the car. The grizzly then came over, stood on its hind legs, put its front legs on the top of the car, and started rocking it back and forth. After a while it left. I know we should have started the engine and got out of there, but we were so tired we just curled up in the car and tried to sleep until the sun came up. True story.

The bears here in California are much smaller than grizzlies, although bigger than a man. Still, we had a mother bear come into our campground once with her two cubs. We hid out in our car until she was finished raiding our food locker. She was not afraid of us paltry humans.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In my home country, Sweden, it is recommended to play dead, if you are attacked by a bear.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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