TOKYO – A couple in their 80s was attacked and seriously hurt by a bear outside their home in north-eastern Japan on Oct 22, but the wounds inflicted were not life threatening, local police said.
The attacks came amid a recent rise in assaults by the animals.
The wife was taking out the trash from her home in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, at around 7.30am when she was attacked by the bear and sustained wounds to her face.
The women’s husband was mauled around his neck when he came out to check on her after hearing her shout “Bear!” the police said.
The animal measured about 1m long and ran into the nearby woods. Neighbours notified the police of the assault, who then urged nearby residents to exercise caution.
A record nine people have already been killed by bears in the country since April of this fiscal year, as attacks have surged, especially on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island, and in north-eastern Japan.
“Please continue to be on the alert and pay attention to information from local authorities,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference in Tokyo the same day. KYODO NEWS
