Bear in Japan shot dead after injuring nine in tourist area

A bear injured nine people at highway rest stop in central Japan yesterday before being shot dead in a souvenir shop.

The black bear seriously injured four men yesterday afternoon in Nyukawa, a small mountain town about 140 miles west of Tokyo.

The 4-foot bear first attacked people at a bus parking lot then entered a lodge where it was trapped in a souvenir shop and shot dead by a hunter, according to media reports.

No one suffered life-threatening injuries in the attack that lasted about an hour, reports said.

A photograph from the scene showed the bear mauling a prone person in a parking lot while a man attempted to scare it off.

The rest stop is on a mountainous road that is open during summer months only to licensed buses and taxis. The area is frequented by tourists for its scenic views.

Akano said bear attacks are very rare in the area.