Japan Hokkaido Hunter Missing After Brown Bear Attack Amid Record 2023 Bear Incidents

A hunter in his 50s has gone missing on Mount Esan in Hokkaido, Japan, amid concerns he may have been attacked by a brown bear recently sighted in the area. Authorities found bloodstains and a hunting rifle believed to belong to the missing man near a forest road, prompting helicopter searches. This incident follows a deadly bear attack in the town of Fukushima, where a 52-year-old newspaper deliveryman was mauled and killed, leading to the first-ever brown bear emergency declaration for the region. The rise in bear encounters and attacks across Hokkaido and other parts of Japan has been linked to factors such as fluctuating food supplies for bears, rural depopulation, and abandoned farmland. Local governments have responded by issuing warnings, increasing patrols, and enacting laws to allow emergency shootings of dangerous animals entering populated areas. These measures aim to address the escalating bear threat amid record numbers of attacks and growing public safety concerns.