Brown bear killed in Japan after authorities had been chasing it for four years

In northern Japan's Hokkaido Island, a brown bear that had been causing havoc among local livestock has been killed after a four-year pursuit, local authorities reported.

Tadayoshi Takida, a Hokkaido official, stated in an interview with AFP, "A brown bear was killed on July 30th, and various analyses, including DNA testing, confirmed it to be 'OSO18', also known as the 'Ninja' bear."

The search for this approximately two-meter-long bear had been ongoing since 2019, when the animal began attacking cows. It managed to target 66 head of cattle, resulting in nearly half of them succumbing to their injuries.

Japan's official NHK channel, along with other local media outlets, highlighted the bear issue fervently. They reported that "OSO18," nicknamed the "Ninja" bear, had earned its moniker due to its remarkable ability to elude humans and evade their traps.

Around 11,700 brown bears inhabit Hokkaido Island, according to local authorities' figures, and their population is on the rise.

While human attacks by these bears are rare, farmers and herders in Hokkaido have reported that they cause damage to their crops and livestock.



AFP