Hokkaido Prefectural Police on Friday confirmed the death of Keisuke Soda, a 26-year-old hiker from Tokyo who went missing after being mauled by a brown bear on Mt. Rausu, part of the Shiretoko Peninsula World Natural Heritage site. His body was found in dense undergrowth and air-lifted to a hospital on the afternoon of 15 August, a day after the attack. Investigators said Soda and a friend had begun their descent around 11 a.m. on 14 August when a bear attacked at roughly the 550-metre mark of the trail. The friend saw Soda bleeding from his legs and struggling with the animal before he was dragged into nearby bushes. The uninjured companion alerted authorities at 11:10 a.m., prompting the evacuation of about 70 other climbers by three helicopters and the closure of all three routes to the 1,660-metre summit. Search teams—comprising police officers, hunters, two police dogs and a drone—resumed operations before dawn on 15 August. They located a wallet, torn blood-stained clothing and other personal items several dozen metres from the trail, leading to the discovery of the victim’s body shortly thereafter. Hunters shot an adult brown bear and two cubs near the site during the search; DNA testing will determine whether the culled animals were responsible for the fatal mauling. Authorities are also analysing claw and bite marks on the victim’s belongings. Mt. Rausu is believed to harbour roughly 300 brown bears. According to prefectural records, the incident is the first fatal bear attack in the Shiretoko mountain range since data collection began in 1962. Trails to the peak remain closed, and officials are urging visitors across Hokkaido to carry deterrent spray, travel in groups and stay alert during the region’s peak hiking season.