College Student Kanato Yanaike Found Dead in Suspected Bear Attack in Northern Japan

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Authorities in northern Japan are currently investigating the death of a college student, which is suspected to have been caused by a bear attack. The student’s body was discovered last week on Mount Daisengen, located on the lower peninsula of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.

The deceased student has been identified as Kanato Yanaike, a 22-year-old college student from Hakodate. He had gone missing during a climbing trip earlier in the week, and his remains were found near the body of a brown bear. This discovery occurred in the same area where a group of men had survived a brown bear attack just two days prior.

According to The Mainichi newspaper, Yanaike’s cause of death was determined to be hemorrhagic shock. Given the proximity of the bear carcass to the student’s remains, authorities are treating the incident as a suspected bear attack.

Yanaike had informed an acquaintance of his plans to climb Mount Daisengen on October 29. Subsequently, his car was found near a trailhead on the mountain. Later, his body was discovered near the site where three men had been attacked by a brown bear on October 31. Although the men managed to fend off the animal, two of them sustained injuries during the encounter.

Authorities are currently investigating whether this incident is part of a series of attacks by the same brown bear. The Hokkaido Research Organization has announced that they will examine the stomach contents of the bear carcass to gather more information about the incident.

This unfortunate incident adds to the growing number of bear attacks in Japan this year. According to the Kyodo news agency, between April and September 2023, there were 109 reported cases of bear attacks, resulting in injuries to 109 individuals—mainly in the northern region of Honshu, Japan’s main island. Tragically, two of these attacks proved fatal, with one occurring in Hokkaido.

Earlier this year, Hokkaido police investigated the death of a fisherman who was suspected to have been attacked by a bear near a lake in the northern part of the island. The investigation revealed that the man had been mauled and decapitated by a brown bear. In another incident, hunters killed an elusive brown bear nicknamed “Ninja” after it attacked numerous cows in the remote northern region of Japan. Additionally, three bears were euthanized in October after invading a tatami mat factory in the northern part of the country.

Local authorities have suggested that the increase in bear attacks may be due to the bear population outgrowing available food sources. Kyodo reported that an abundance of beech nuts and acorns in 2022 may have contributed to the rise in bear numbers. However, with a thin nut season this year, bears have been venturing into human habitats in search of food as they prepare for hibernation.

The rise in bear attacks has prompted Japanese communities to take preventive measures. For instance, a town in Japan has deployed “Monster Wolf” robots to deter bears and protect residents from potential encounters.

As authorities continue their investigations into the recent bear attack on Mount Daisengen, it is hoped that measures can be implemented to ensure the safety of both humans and bears in the region..