Multiple climbers rescued from Japan mountain after bear incident

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleFour climbers were rescued by helicopter from a mountain in Hokkaido, Japan, after a brown bear blocked their descent, leaving them stranded for over three hours on Saturday. The group spotted the approximately 1.5m tall bear about 50m ahead on a trail while descending a 2,141m mountain; all were airlifted to safety uninjured. The incident occurred on the same day Mount Rausu, a Unesco World Natural Heritage site, reopened to climbers for the first time since a fatal bear attack there last August. This event contributes to a sharp rise in bear encounters across Japan, with at least five people killed by bears since 1 April, following a record 13 deaths in the last fiscal year. Scientists attribute the increase to factors including growing bear populations, declining rural communities, poor harvests of natural food sources, and climate change shortening hibernation periods. In fullClimbers rescued by helicopter from Japan mountain after bear encounterMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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