- A woman's body was discovered in Japan's Iwate prefecture shortly after a police officer was injured in a bear attack while searching for a missing person.
- The 56-year-old officer suffered arm and face wounds from the bear, which was subsequently shot and killed by a hunter accompanying the search team.
- If confirmed as a bear attack fatality, it would mark Japan's first such death of 2026, following a series of incidents in recent years.
- Bear encounters have become increasingly dangerous in Japan, with 13 deaths recorded nationwide since April last year, including several in Iwate prefecture alone.
- Experts attribute the rise in attacks to factors such as dwindling natural food supplies, climate change, and an overpopulation of bears, despite reinstated population control measures being hampered by a shortage of hunters.
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