Bears have killed a record 7 people in Japan this year

A record number of people have been killed by bears in Japan this year, according to figures from the environment ministry, as the animals cross paths with humans more often.

TOKYO — A record number of people have been killed by bears in Japan this year, according to figures from the environment ministry, as the animals cross paths with humans more often.

At least seven people have died since April, the start of the government calendar year, which is the highest figure since records began in 2006.

The figures do not include a suspected bear attack involving a 60-year-old hot spring worker who went missing on Thursday after he went to clean an outdoor bath. Investigators found human blood and what appeared to be bear fur at the scene of the suspected attack in Iwate Prefecture.

A body was found nearby on Friday, and hunters accompanying a search and rescue team shot and killed a bear in the area.

A man in his 70s who was picking mushrooms in the same area was also found dead last week in what was determined to be a bear attack. It was the seventh such death recorded for the year.