Overview
- Data from the recovered device shows the route veered off the Mount Rausu trail around 11 a.m., circled in dense brush, then logged the man’s heart stopping about 100 to 130 meters from the path.
- The watch stayed stationary overnight and began moving again around 9 a.m. the next morning for several hundred meters, indicating the bear likely returned and dragged the body.
- Authorities later observed a brown bear with two cubs carrying the remains, and hunters killed all three animals.
- Japan has recorded 13 bear fatalities and more than 200 injuries this year, with increased sightings near homes, schools, and supermarkets heightening concern in northern regions.
- Officials have allocated about 3.4 billion yen for bear-control measures, enlisted military support for trapping efforts, and authorized armed police to shoot problem animals as local hunting ranks decline.