Hunt continues for missing 7-year-old Japanese boy who was left in forest as punishment for throwing stones at cars
180 rescuers out in force on the island of Hokkaido to try and find the lost boy amid reports of fresh bear faeces in the area
THE manhunt for the missing seven-year-old boy who was abandoned in a bear-infested forest by his parents enters its fourth day.
Desperate rescuers have been scouring the countryside to the north of Japan’s Hokkaido Island to try and find the lost boy.
180 people are taking part in the rescue attempt, while his parent grow more worried as the hunt wears on.
Youngster Yamato Tanooka, went missing on Saturday evening when his parents decided to discipline him.
The parents made the little boy leave the car after he was throwing stones at other vehicles earlier in the day.
They drove on another 500 metres, but when they turned back to collect the misbehaving child, he had disappeared.
The boy’s father, Takayuki, 44, said: “I feel very sorry for my son. I am so sorry for causing trouble for so many people.”
Pictures of the cute youngster have been widely circulated as rescuers try to find the boy near the town of Nanae.
He was last seen wearing jeans and a t-shirt but had no food or water.
A police spokesman was quoted by the IB Times saying: “The parents left the boy in the mountains as a punishment. They said they went back to the site immediately but the boy was no longer there.”
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The dangerous woods in Hokkaido are notorious for their Ussuri brown bear population.
The fearsome creatures, who can weigh up to 550kg, have been known to maul humans on many occasions.
People most commonly attacked are mushroom hunters and fishermen, as they wander through the forest.
But the scary animals have even ventured into towns to attack people
In 1915, a brown bear killed seven people in a Hokkaido village, the worst brown bear attack ever to happen.
Police say that they are looking into charging the parents for neglect.
Social media users have expressed their outrage at the parents of little Yamato, declaring that the child is a victim of abuse.
One Twitter user said: “I’m a parent too, so I understand (about discipline), but that was going way too far.”
Another wrote: “This is not punishment, but abuse!”
Yesterday, it is thought that fresh bear faeces were found in the forest.
Nanae town spokesman Mitsuru Wakayama said: “Not many people or cars pass by, and it gets totally dark as there are no lights,” Wakayama said. “It’s not surprising to encounter bears anywhere in the area.”
