Location
Description
On 2026-02-13 in the afternoon in Tochinai, Hanamaki (Iwate), 70-year-old hunter association member Kenya Sato was attacked by an adult bear while using fireworks to drive it away, sustaining injuries to his face and head. He was airlifted to hospital by doctor helicopter and was conscious; the bear believed to be the same individual was later culled in Kitakami City.
Note: Official sources provide information in Japanese only. This description has been machine translated for your convenience.
Summary
In Hanamaki, Iwate, a 70-year-old hunter was attacked on the afternoon of Feb 13 while trying to scare off a bear with fireworks. He suffered serious facial and head injuries and was airlifted to hospital; the bear believed responsible was later shot in Kitakami. This was the first bear-related human injury in the prefecture in 2026.
Bear Type
Black Bear
Number of Bears
1
Provider Type
News
Date & Time
Friday, February 13, 2026 at 05:00 AM
Address
Tochinai, Hanamaki, Iwate
Coordinates
39.350540, 141.030888
Sources
Related Areas
Comments (1)
追い払い作業中に襲われるって、クマの方が先に仕掛けてきたってことなのか。
Hiking in bear country
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