4 climbers rescued by helicopter after encountering bear in northern Japan

Four climbers were safely rescued by helicopter from a mountain in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after a tense encounter with a brown bear left them stranded for about three and a half hours. The incident occurred on July 4 as the group was descending a 2,141-meter peak.

A man in his 60s first spotted the bear, estimated to be about 1.5 meters long, roughly 50 meters ahead on the trail. Three other climbers soon joined him. By approximately 4:50 p.m. local time, one of the climbers made an emergency call to report their predicament, stating they were unable to proceed due to the bear's presence. Fortunately, no one sustained any injuries during the encounter.

This latest incident comes just as Mt. Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in Hokkaido, reopened to climbers on July 5. The mountain's routes had been closed since August of the previous year following a fatal bear attack that claimed the life of a 26-year-old hiker.

Authorities are increasing measures to prevent similar encounters. Brown bear alerts are now displayed at four levels, and there has been a noticeable rise in bear sightings and related injuries, prompting concern among officials who are actively assessing bear habitats. In a separate incident on the morning of July 5 in Akita prefecture, an 83-year-old man was attacked by a bear while gathering mountain vegetables, sustaining injuries to his head and face.