Two separate bear attacks occur in one day in northeastern Japan; 3 sustained non-life-threatening injuries

Two separate bear attacks occurred in Akita Prefecture on Saturday. Two police officers were attacked in a mountain forest in Kazuno city, and a man was attacked in a rice field in Mitane city. All three victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Two police officers were attacked by a bear while searching a mountain forest in Towadaoyu, Kazuno city, for two missing people around 1 p.m. on Saturday. Officers were reportedly able to speak while being transported to the hospital. According to a police statement, one 25-year-old officer suffered injuries to his face and both shoulders, while the other 45-year-old officer suffered injuries to both arms and his chest.

A man and a woman who went separately into the mountain forest to collect bamboo shoots have been missing since Wednesday. A search party of nine police officers and firefighters looked for the couple on Saturday. The police officers were attacked by the bear immediately after discovering a collapsed man in the forest, who appeared to be the missing man. After the bear attacked the police officers, the search was stopped and the city of Kazuno temporarily banned access to the forest.

On the same day at 5:20 p.m., a 61-year-old farmer was attacked by a bear about 1 meter long in a rice field in Moritake, Mitane City. The man was bitten on his right leg and was reportedly conscious when transported to the hospital.