4 climbers rescued by helicopter after encountering bear in Japan

Four climbers were rescued by helicopter from a mountain in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after being stranded for about three and a half hours due to an encounter with a brown bear, police said Sunday.

On Saturday at 2:30 p.m., a man in his 60s saw a bear around 50 meters ahead on the trail while climbing down a 2,141-meter mountain. According to the police, the bear was about 1.5 meters long.

Three other climbers caught up with the man, and at around 4:50 p.m., one of them made an emergency call to report that they were unable to continue after seeing the bear. No one was injured.

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The latest incident came as Mt. Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage site in Hokkaido, reopened to climbers on Sunday. The climbing routes had been closed since last August, when a 26-year-old hiker was killed in a bear attack.

About 50 city officials and climbers of the 1,660-meter mountain offered prayers during a ceremony on Sunday morning.

The Environment Ministry and local authorities have taken steps to prevent similar incidents. Brown bear alerts are displayed at four levels.

An increasing number of bear sightings and related injuries have raised the alarm among authorities, who are seeking to assess bear habitats.

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In Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, an 83-year-old man was attacked by a bear while he was picking mountain vegetables on Sunday morning.

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He sustained injuries to his head and face but was able to communicate when taken to the hospital, according to local police. /dl

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