Bear kills woman in Japan, 2 more fatal attacks suspected

World Bear kills woman in Japan, 2 more deadly attacks suspected Updated on: May 8, 2026 / 6:35 AM EDT / CBS/AFP Add CBS News on Google Japan confirmed Friday the first fatal bear attack of 2026 after a record 13 deaths last year, with reports pointing to a jump in sightings as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation.A spate of bear encounters, including at hot spring resorts and in supermarkets last year, sparked alarm, with the government deploying troops to help hunt and trap them. The GPS watch of one of the victims revealed that the animal dragged the man's body over 100 yards away from the trail where he was killed.Record sightings have been reported again this year as the bears emerge from their winter slumber, according to local media.This year's first confirmed fatality, reportedly a 55-year-old woman, was discovered on April 21 in Iwate prefecture in northern Japan, according to the environment ministry.Two more sets of human remains were found this week, police told AFP, with media reports drawing a link to bear attacks.One of the bodies was discovered elsewhere in the Iwate region on Thursday, while another was found in a forest in Yamagata prefecture on Tuesday, police said, without providing the cause of the deaths. Hikers walk past a sign warning of bears in the area in Ome, Tokyo Prefecture on April 29, 2026. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS /AFP via Getty Images Broadcaster NHK identified one of the two as Chiyoko Kumagai, 69, who went missing after going to a mountain forest to pick edible wild plants. Police and rescuers launched a search on Thursday in the forest where her car was parked and found her body shortly after 8:00 am, NHK reported.She reportedly had injuries on her face and head that appeared to have been caused by an animal's claws.City officials said local hunters were expected to begin patrolling the area on Friday, according to the broadcaster.Supermarket sweepLast year's record number of fatal attacks was more than double the previous...