By MASATOSHI NARAYAMA/ Staff Writer
January 13, 2024 at 18:47 JST
A replica of a brown bear that killed seven people about a century ago in Tomamae, Hokkaido (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
OBIRA, Hokkaido--The worst brown bear attack on record, one that left seven people dead around 110 years ago, is still talked about in this frontier area of Hokkaido.
Winter is no time to relax one’s guard as brown bears do not hibernate.
Near-daily sightings since Jan. 4 of an animal that is estimated to stand two meters tall prompted officials to set a trap as the area is only about 10 kilometers from the site where the seven were clawed and fatally mauled. The victims were among those who had moved to Hokkaido to clear new farmland.
Obira town officials began setting the trap from Jan. 11 because several hamlets dot the area where the bear was spotted. Some are located just a few hundred meters away.
The area is about 20 kilometers inland. Obira sits along the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido, the main northern island.
The driver of a snowplow and his colleague spotted the same brown bear on Jan. 7, 9 and 10. Each of the sightings was made around 7:30 a.m.
The snowplow driver said the bear seemed to be eating something by a frozen river bank on Jan. 7. When the driver later drove by the area in his car, bear tracks indicated the animal had crossed the road and headed for the mountain.
On Jan. 9, the driver made eye contact with the bear as it climbed a cliff. The bear climbed back down to the river and crossed it.
On Jan. 10, the bear was spotted using his front paws to cover something with snow.
“The bear might have been eating a deer because its fur was shiny and the animal was not scrawny,” the driver said.
Town officials have been visiting nearby homes to urge residents to remain vigilant. On Jan. 4, during one visit, brown bear tracks were found near a house.
Slightly upstream from where the bear was spotted lay the haunches of a deer as well as fresh bear tracks. Local residents believe the bear has been returning to the area almost daily to feast on the remains of the deer.
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