A man in his 40s was bitten on the arm by an Asiatic black bear during a wildlife capture operation in Kyoto [1, 2].
The incident highlights the persistent danger faced by wildlife management teams in Japan's mountainous regions as they work to control harmful animal populations. It marks the first human injury caused by a bear in Kyoto Prefecture during the current fiscal year [1, 2].
The attack occurred around 1:30 p.m. on May 29, 2026 [1, 2]. The man, a member of a local hunting association, was participating in an operation to capture deer and other harmful wildlife in the Kyoboku area of Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City [1, 2].
The victim described a sudden encounter with the animal, which measured about one meter in length [1]. He said he saw something black and realized it was a bear when it was only 15 to 20 meters away. He said the bear opened its mouth and lunged at him.
"The bear reached out its right hand, and as I tried to dodge, it bit my right arm," the man said [1].
He was able to escape the encounter after a dog intervened. The man said the dog circled behind and bit the bear's hindquarters, causing the animal to release him and move toward the dog. The man then fled the scene [1].
Medical professionals treated the man's right arm, which required seven stitches to close the wound [1]. Following the attack, the bear fled back into the forest [1].
“The bear reached out its right hand, and as I tried to dodge, it bit my right arm.”
This incident underscores the volatile nature of human-wildlife conflict in Japan, where professional hunters and association members operate in high-risk zones to mitigate agricultural and urban damage. The fact that a trained hunter was injured by a relatively small bear—approximately one meter—suggests that wildlife capture operations remain hazardous regardless of the handler's experience level.
