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A dog scared off a black bear that attacked an elderly couple while they were walking along a mountain path near their home in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Saturday morning.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 9 a.m. NTV reported that the couple were walking their dog when they were attacked from behind by the bear. The 63-year-old man sustained bites to his head, police said. He was taken to hospital and is in a stable condition.

The man's wife said their dog Shokora jumped up at the bear and barked at it and it fled into the mountains.

Police have stepped up patrols and asked local resident to be on the alert because bears can be dangerous this time of year as they search for mates.