A seven-year-old boy is missing in a forest populated by wild bears in Japan after his parents reportedly told him to get out of the car as a punishment.
Around 150 rescue workers are combing a forest in north Japan after the boy went missing on Saturday afternoon.
According to Hokkaido police, the parents had told the boy to get out of the car to punish him for misbehaving.
Japanese media have reported that the parents told police the punishment was for the boy throwing rocks while playing at a river earlier in the day.
Police said the father then returned to where they dropped the boy off a few minutes later but he was gone.
The parents initially told police that their son disappeared while picking wild vegetables but an hour later admitted the truth, according to police.
Kyodo News said police are investigating if the case is subject to child abandonment.
The wooded area where the child is believed to be missing is in Japan's most northern island, Hokkaido.
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