Overview

• On August 1, a 73-year-old woman was attacked by a bear outside a nursing home in Akita and is being treated for severe head injuries at a local hospital.
• Surveillance camera footage reviewed by Akita police shows the bear ambushing the woman as she took out a trash bag.
• Akita officials have extended the region’s bear warning season through September and advised residents to carry bear spray, secure food and garbage, and stay alert.
• Japan has recorded 85 bear attacks and three deaths so far this year, accounting for a significant portion of last year’s record 219 attacks and six fatalities.
• Earlier incidents in June and July led to the cancellation of a golf tournament in Ishikawa and flight stoppages at Yamagata Airport after bears wandered into public areas.