Overview
- The police officer, 56, was bitten on the face and right arm Tuesday in a stream area of Shiwa during a search for a missing person.
- A hunter with the search team killed an adult female bear about 10 minutes after the attack, and authorities said it measured roughly 1.3 meters.
- Police later found a woman's body a short distance from the encounter site, and investigators are examining whether a bear caused her death.
- Officials said the injured officer was conscious when taken to a hospital, and they reported recent sightings of cubs in the area.
- Government figures show a rising risk, with 13 people killed by bears nationwide in 2025, including five deaths in Iwate between July and October.