Wild Bear Attacks Continue in Japan
Fatalities Reported
In Japan, incidents of wild bears appearing in urban areas or walking paths and attacking people have become more frequent, and this time, a bear was found inside a private home, drawing attention.
According to Japan's public broadcaster NHK on the 24th, a man in his 60s living in Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, discovered a bear in his living room around 6:20 p.m. on the 23rd.
The man recounted the situation, saying, "After finishing work and coming home, I turned on the living room light and found a bear about 90 cm long with its head pressed against the kotatsu (a Japanese heating table)." It appears the bear broke through a wall under repair to enter, and snacks were scattered on top of the kotatsu. Startled, the man immediately went outside and reported to the police. He then evacuated to a neighbor's house, and the bear was tranquilized and released back into the mountains the following day.
This is not the first time a bear has come down into residential areas or cities in Japan. On the 30th of last month, a bear about 1 meter long entered a supermarket in Akita City in northeastern Honshu. This bear attacked one employee, injuring their head, but did not leave and remained inside the supermarket. The police confirmed the bear was inside the supermarket's auxiliary facilities the day after the intrusion and set up metal traps in and around the store to capture it. Later, the police confirmed the bear was captured and moved it outside the supermarket.
Meanwhile, in Japan, bears are increasingly coming down into residential areas and cities due to habitat loss caused by development and other factors. In fact, from April last year to March this year, a record-high total of 219 people were killed or injured by bear attacks in Japan. Among them, six people died. This is the highest number since statistics began being collected in 2006.
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