DNA Links Hokkaido Bear to Fatal Maulings

Jul 20, 2025 | News On Japan

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

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