Injury patterns of fatal bear attacks in Japan: A description of seven cases

In recent years, the number of bear attacks has risen in Akita prefecture, Japan. Here, we present the injury patterns of seven fatal bear attacks, and discuss the implication of these findings. We included five cases of Asiatic black bear attacks and two cases of Ezo brown bear attacks. In all cases, the injuries, 2-5 parallel linear lacerations with severe hemorrhaging and decollement, were mainly located on the upper body. These injuries were thought to be fatal as, upon a first encounter, bears often stand and first attack the victim's head and face using their claws. Four lacerations were located at the vertex of the trapezoid in all cases, without severe hemorrhaging on the neck, extremities, or around the antemortem injuries. These injuries were thought to be bite marks incurred by the bears' four large canines, mainly occurring postmortem during the process of predation. These findings differed from those of fatal biting around the neck by other animals such as lions, mountain lions, or large-sized dogs. Further, laceration with avulsion of the skin was found in the inguinal region, without severe hemorrhaging. In some cases, the intestine had been removed from the inguinal injury for predation. In conclusion, the injuries of bear attacks are different from those caused by other animals, owing to the characteristics of bears. By investigating the injuries caused by fatal bear attacks, we can better understand the patterns of such injuries. Especially, the diameter between the canines is sometimes useful to estimate the size and the number of offending bears.