News Black Bear Hanamaki City, Iwate Feb 13, 2026, 04:05 AM

Description

On February 13 at about 13:05, in a mountain area of Hanamaki City, Iwate, 70-year-old pest-control team member Kenta Sato was attacked by a bear while using firecrackers to drive it away; he was scratched in the face and head and was airlifted by doctor helicopter with serious injuries. Police and hunters tracked footprints and found and culled one adult bear a few hundred meters away in Kitakami City.

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

Summary

In a mountain area of Hanamaki City, a 70-year-old local pest-control worker was attacked while using firecrackers to drive away a bear, sustaining facial and head injuries and being airlifted by doctor helicopter. An adult bear was later found and culled a few hundred meters away in Kitakami City; such human injuries in February, during the hibernation period, are rare and this was the first confirmed case in the prefecture this year.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Friday, February 13, 2026 at 04:05 AM

Address

Coordinates

39.388625, 141.116900

Sources