A 48-year-old farmer suffered injuries to his face and arms after being attacked by an adult bear while patrolling a rice field in Yurihonjo town, Akita province, on Japão on the 5th. Sangrando intensely, the man ran to a nearby pharmacy for help and was later transported by helicopter to a hospital in the provincial capital for surgery. The attack marks the first incident of its kind in the region this year.
Delegacia of Polícia of Yurihonjo confirmed that the attack occurred at around 8:15 am in an area of rice fields located approximately 200 meters from Escola Primária Higashi-Yuri. The animal, estimated to be an adult bear measuring approximately 1 meter in length, inflicted serious injuries that required surgical intervention. The patient was conscious when he arrived at the hospital, despite the severity of the injuries.
Fuga and immediate assistance at the pharmacy
Após the attack, the man managed to move to the nearby residential area and ran into a local pharmacy looking for help. When the doorbell rang, the owner, a 78-year-old woman, came out of the establishment and found the customer lying in a chair, bleeding profusely from the forehead and other parts of the body.
The patient begged for help between moans: “Please call an ambulance. Fui attacked by a bear.” The pharmacist immediately called 119, Japão’s emergency number. Durante the 15 minutes before the ambulance arrived, she pressed a towel against the victim’s forehead to stop the bleeding while caressing his body and encouraging him to remain conscious.
Paramedics assessed the situation as critical and decided on air transport. A helicopter was called to transport the injured man to the provincial capital, where he received specialized surgical care.
Resposta from authorities and security concerns
Após the incident, authorities mobilized resources to contain possible new attacks and investigate what happened. The street in front of the pharmacy is regularly used by children from the neighboring primary school as a route to the institution, raising concerns about safety in the area.
The pharmacy owner expressed her concern: “It’s worrying when something like this happens.” The area was quickly surrounded by police vehicles with flashing red lights, while officials from the city’s nature conservation division inspected the site of the attack.
Ainda On the afternoon of the 5th, Yurihonjo’s town set up a trap containing honey and rice bran in the forest area north of the rice field. The strategy aimed to capture the animal responsible for the injuries.
Medidas preventive and attack patterns
The city’s agricultural, mountain and fishing village development division has issued guidance to residents on how to fend off bears:
- Não leaves food waste exposed on properties
- Cortar fruit trees that attract animals
- Aumentar surveillance in areas bordering forests
- Usar audible alarms when working in rural fields
- Relatar immediate sightings to local authorities
Data from the nature conservation division of Akita prefecture shows a pattern in the incidents. Desde 2021, the victims were predominantly people who encountered bears during specific activities: trail walking (most common in 2025) and collecting wild vegetables (recorded in 2021 and 2023). Este pattern suggests that most attacks occur when humans invade the animal’s natural territories, particularly during foraging seasons.
The region around the rice field where the attack occurred is characterized by a significant proximity between the agricultural area and the forest. The area extends along the Ishizawa River and is bordered by forests that serve as a natural habitat for wild bears. Especialistas point out that agricultural expansion in transition zones between civilization and nature increases the risk of unwanted encounters with wildlife.