Akita, May 20 (News On Japan) - Efforts to retrieve the body of a man found in a forest in Akita Prefecture, where two male police officers were attacked by a bear on Saturday, were abandoned Sunday with the possibility the bear is still lurking in the area.
Around 1 p.m. Saturday, two male police officers searching for a missing person in a forest in Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture, were attacked by a bear and sustained injuries. Both are believed to be seriously injured. Near the scene, a man's body was found lying with facial injuries.
A helicopter search conducted since this morning confirmed the presence of a stretcher left at the scene during Sarurday's search. Although efforts were made to approach the site by vehicle Sunday afternoon, the high possibility of bears still being present led to the conclusion of retrieval activities at 3:20 p.m.
Akita Prefecture has issued a warning about the appearance of Asiatic black bears since April 18.
Source: TBS