News 2 Black Bears Shiwa 船久保, Iwate Apr 21, 2026, 12:50 AM

Description

At around 09:50 on April 21, 2026, a male police officer in his 50s searching for a missing person in a stream area of Yamanoya Nabesawa, Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, was attacked by a bear and suffered bites to his face and arms. The adult female bear believed to be responsible (about 1.2–1.3 m long) was culled by hunters; an unidentified body (thought to be an adult woman) was found nearby and police are investigating identity and cause of death. A cub was also reported sighted.

Note: Official sources provide information in Japanese only. This description has been machine translated for your convenience.

Summary

On the morning of April 21, while searching for a missing person in a mountain area of Shiwa Town, Iwate, a police officer was attacked by a bear and injured in the face and arms. The adult female bear believed to have attacked was culled by hunters, and an unidentified body (thought to be an adult woman) was found nearby; police are investigating possible links. A cub was also reported, and authorities remain on alert in the area.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

2

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 12:50 AM

Address

Coordinates

39.577146, 141.267979

Sources