Human head found after fisherman feared eaten alive by bear ‘spotted with boots hanging from its mouth’
A HUMAN head has been found after a fisherman was feared to be eaten alive by a brown bear.
Cops made the grim discovery at Lake Shumarinai, Japan, after reports the beast was spotted with “boots hanging from its mouth”.
The incident was reported on Monday after Toshihiro Nishikawa, 54, was dropped at the remote fishing location but never returned.
That same day, the boat operator who transported the man reportedly witnessed a bear with fishing boots dangling from its mouth.
The driver then tried to reach Toshihiro by phone but to no avail, Kyodo News reported.
Horokanai officials then launched a bear hunt operation, which resulted in an animal being shot in the area later that evening.
A human head was also discovered during the search, near where the fisherman was last seen.
However, local authorities are yet to confirm whether the head belonged to the 54-year-old man.
Lake Shumarinai is located on Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido.
Recent reports said the island was home to more than 6,500 apex predators – the Ussuri brown bear.
Also known as an “Ezo”, the creature is a subspecies of the brown bear.
It is slightly smaller than the North American grizzly bear but still holds a deadly reputation.
According to official reports, 14 people were killed or injured by bears in Hokkaido in 2021.
As a result of the suspected attack, the Horokanai town office issued an emergency warning.
The statement read: “Please be careful when doing farm work, forest work, or entering the mountains near the sightings.”
It comes as another species of bear ripped a man’s face open.