BEAR RAMPAGE

4 Mauled in Horrific Bear Attack as Cases Spiral

Police scrambled to lock down the neighborhood.

A bear remains on the loose after a rampage through a residential area in Japan left four people injured. The attack unfolded in Fukushima, in northeastern Japan, where officials say bears have increasingly ventured into populated areas. The latest incident comes after a record year for bear attacks nationwide, with Japan’s Environment Ministry reporting 13 deaths in more than 230 attacks in 2025. Security camera footage captured part of the chaos. A black bear appeared near the entrance of a steel plant and chased a worker in his 20s before knocking him to the ground. The animal then entered the facility and injured a second employee, a man in his 60s. Authorities said the bear later attacked another male worker in his 60s at a separate company and injured a woman in her 80s who lives nearby. The three men suffered minor injuries, while the woman sustained moderate injuries. None of the wounds were considered life-threatening. As of Tuesday afternoon, the bear had not been captured and was believed to be inside a company compound surrounded by police carrying long sticks. Two nearby schools were closed. Last year, Japan deployed troops to the northern region of Akita after bears attacked more than 60 people.