A hiker in his 20s was killed by a brown bear on Mount Rausu in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after being dragged into the forest on Thursday.

Authorities found his body and personal items near the scene on Friday, and hunters killed a bear nearby; DNA tests will confirm if it was responsible.

Hokkaido’s brown bear population has slightly declined, but human-bear encounters are rising, with 219 attacks and six deaths reported in the past year, CBS News has reported.

Experts cite climate change and rural depopulation as factors allowing bears to expand their range, prompting new government measures to protect people, including approved hunting in populated areas.