News Black Bear Sakata 山谷, Yamagata May 5, 2026, 12:50 AM

Description

On the morning of the 5th, a search team found the body of an elderly unidentified man in forested mountain area in Yamagata Prefecture's Sakata City (Yamatani). The body had injuries to the head and arms, and one bear was found and culled nearby; police will perform an autopsy and investigate any connection to the bear.

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

Summary

A search team looking for a 78-year-old man who had gone missing while foraging found an elderly man's body in the mountains of Sakata City on the morning of the 5th. The body, found near the man's abandoned kei truck, had injuries to the head and arms; one bear was discovered nearby and culled. Police are confirming the identity and will conduct an autopsy while carefully investigating any link to the bear.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 12:50 AM

Address

Coordinates

38.907756, 139.979710

Sources