HOKKAIDO, Jul 20, 2025 (News On Japan) - A bear culled on July 18th in the southern Hokkaido town of Fukushima has been confirmed through DNA testing to match hair found on the clothing of a man who died on July 12th.
The male bear was killed in a residential area of Fukushima, where officials collected hair samples. According to researchers, the DNA from the bear matches that found on the clothes of a newspaper deliveryman who was fatally attacked, as well as other hair samples taken near the scene.
DNA analysis also revealed that the same bear was responsible for the death of a woman in her 70s in the town four years ago.
"I feel a bit safer knowing that this bear is no longer around, but we still need to stay cautious in our daily lives," said a local resident.
Following the bear's extermination, Hokkaido authorities downgraded the "brown bear warning" to a lower-level "advisory."
Source: TBS
