Japanese hunter attacked by bear

SEKIGAHARA, Japan, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A Japanese hunter suffered scratches and a broken finger Monday when he was attacked by an Asiatic black bear.

Police said the hunter, Masato Yamamoto, encountered the bear in the mountains of Sekigahara, Mainichi Shimbun reported. They said the 4-year-old female bear was inside a steel cage for wild boars, but jumped out when Yamamoto and a second hunter approached it.

The second hunter shot and killed the bear when it attacked.

Local officials said the incident marked the fifth bear-related injury in Gifu Prefecture this year.