A bear that attacked a supermarket worker in northern Japan over the weekend before apparently hiding inside for three days has been exterminated after it was found in a trap set by local authorities near the store entrance.

A 47-year-old man was hospitalized with facial and other injuries after the attack in northern Akita Prefecture on Saturday morning. According to local media, his injuries are not life-threatening.

Police called in licensed hunters to kill the animal, which was about a meter long, but were initially unable to locate it, the Kyodo news agency said.

Traps were set at the entrances to the supermarket, where the bear appeared to have eaten large amounts of meat. A drone was also used to determine the whereabouts.

Police said the bear was found in a trap containing honey, apples and bread that was set between an entrance and a storage area after the government told them the trap’s sensor was activated early Monday morning had been activated.

The bear was euthanized before it was killed, the Kyodo news agency said.

Authorities in parts of northern Japan are grappling with a growing number of encounters between people and bears that have left their natural habitat in search of food.

Residents, including in urban areas, have been urged to remain vigilant as animals prepare for hibernation. Some also warned that due to food shortages, some hungry animals would continue to forage during the colder months.

Authorities reported 219 victims, including six deaths, from bear attacks in 19 of Japan’s 47 prefectures in the 12 months ending March this year – the highest number since nationwide data became available.

Fluctuating harvests of bear staple foods and rural migration have been cited as factors in the increase in bear encounters, while experts believe a steady decline in the number of children, whose louder behavior helps keep bears away, is another factor in the increase Incidents are in rural towns and villages.

The injured Akita man was attacked as he worked near the supermarket’s deli section before the store opened early on Saturday. Another worker helped him get to a safe storage area before calling police, Kyodo said. The store was closed and there were no shoppers inside at the time.

Several bear sightings have been reported in the neighborhood near the center of Akita City in recent days. The prefecture was the scene of two high-profile incidents last year, including one in which a man lost part of his ear after finding a bear in his garage and another in which several people were mauled at a bus stop.

Japan’s bear population is growing. One estimate puts the number of black bears at 44,000 – compared to 15,000 in 2012. This number does not include Hokkaido, which is believed to be home to almost 12,000 Ussuri brown bears, whose population has more than doubled since 1990.