A man in his 80s was found dead next to a bear caught in a trap in a mountain forest in Japan. Just after 8am on December 20, Mitsuo Kato, 89, a resident of Arai, Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai City, was found collapsed in a mountain forest in Yoshida, Yamato Town, with injuries to his head and other parts of his body, and was later confirmed dead.

The man died “possibly attacked by a bear while checking a trap,” in the Miyagi Prefecture in the city of Yamato, local media NHK One reported. Police said the cause of death was traumatic shock.

At the scene, the bear was found with its legs tied to the wire of a wild boar snare. The bear was still able to move around, so it was later exterminated, NHK One also said.

In addition, a sign with Kato’s name on it, indicating who set the trap, was found near the trap, as well as a spear-like device used to deliver electric shocks to wild boars and a knife.

Police visited the scene to check the trap they had set for themselves and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, believing it to be a bear attack, local media also added.

Isao Asai (75), head of the Kurokawa branch of the Miyagi Prefectural Hunters Association and commander of the Yamato Town Bird and Animal Damage Control Team, was one of the first to arrive at the scene.

Regarding the situation at the scene, he said: “The bear, with its right front paw caught in the trap, knocked Mr Kato down and climbed a tree. The wire of the trap was four meters long, but it was only about two meters to the point where Mr Kato had fallen.”

Asai said: “They probably set a trap to catch a wild boar, and a bear happened to pass by and got caught in it. There have been an unusually large number of bears this year. That means there is a lack of food in the mountains, and since there is no snow in the area, there is still a chance that food can be found, so the bear may not have gone into hibernation.”

When police arrived, the bear believed to have attacked the man had only one leg caught in a snare trap.

According to the Miyagi Prefectural Hunters’ Association, a “snare trap” is a device that uses a wire to catch an animal’s legs or other parts of its body, and is mainly used to capture wild boars and deer, while bears are usually captured in a “box trap,” which is a metal cage or enclosure.

In Miyagi Prefecture, to prevent the “mistaken capture” of animals other than wild boars and deer, the diameter of the tube is set at a maximum of 12 centimetres, making it difficult for animals with large feet, such as bears, to get caught in the traps.

Unlike a box trap, which prevents animals from escaping from an enclosure, a snare trap allows animals to move freely around the tree it is attached to within the length of the wire, so care must be taken.

Masaru Ota, head of the hunting association branch to which the deceased Kato belonged, said: “I am very sorry about this unfortunate accident. All I can do is pray for his soul to rest in peace.”

According to Ota, Kato was originally from Yamato Town, Miyagi Prefecture, and lived in Sendai City. He would go to Yamato Town, where he was familiar with the geography, to set traps. Kato was the oldest member of the branch and would go hunting in the mountains with other members. Ota said: “He was a gentle person who looked after his juniors. He was a good senior.”