Missing Man After Bear Attack in Hokkaido

• A man is missing after a bear attack during a descent.
• The search is ongoing, and the police have closed the trail.
• Personal belongings of the missing person were found near the site of the attack.

This was reported by The Yomiuri Shimbun, Asharq Al-Awsat.

On August 15, 2025, in Sapporo — In Hokkaido, in the northwest of Japan, a man in his twenties went missing after a bear attacked him while he was descending Mount Rausu. The incident occurred when he was descending from a height of about 550 meters.

A friend of the missing man reported to the police that his companion was trying to fend off the bear but was delayed in the struggle, sustaining serious injuries to his neck. After the police were called, the friend was evacuated by helicopter.

The police have closed the tourist trail where the attack occurred and have begun searching for the missing man. At the site of the incident, they found his backpack, as well as a torn bloody shirt that likely belonged to him. They also discovered traces of blood on the trees and ground.

It is known that the number of bears in Hokkaido has decreased in 2023 for the first time since 1991, which is associated with record low captures, during which 1,804 bears were captured in a year.