TOKYO, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- A man listed as missing was found dead on Friday morning in a grove in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, in a suspected bear attack, local media reported.

Local police said a body, identified as belonging to a local resident in his 70s, was discovered in the prefecture's Shizukuishi Town around 7 a.m. local time, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The man, who was reported missing after he went out to pick mushrooms on Thursday, had sustained scratches, indicating he may have been attacked by a bear, the report said.

The police are urging local residents to stay vigilant about bears. ■