"Bear Spotted in Shopping Mall" Tranquilizer Gun Used to Subdue as Bear Fear Spreads to City Centers

Cub Bear, About 80cm in Length
Captured After Being Tranquilized with a Dart Gun

As wild bears continue to appear in urban and residential areas across Japan, raising social concerns, an incident occurred in which a bear entered a shopping mall in a Japanese city, leading to a temporary lockdown of the building.

According to Japanese media outlets such as the Yomiuri Shimbun on November 16, a bear appeared at the Aeon Mall Noshiro branch, located in Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture, Tohoku. Aeon Mall is a large shopping mall chain with dozens of locations across Japan.

Photo to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay.

According to reports, local government officials responded to a call from mall employees and captured the bear after shooting it with a tranquilizer gun. It was identified as a cub, approximately 80 centimeters in length.

Before officials arrived, mall employees constructed a barricade with furniture to confine the bear inside the first-floor furniture store. Media outlets reported that all staff and shoppers evacuated at the time of the bear's appearance, and there were no human casualties.

Meanwhile, according to Japan's Ministry of the Environment, there were 20,792 reported bear sightings between April and September this year, surpassing the total number for all of last year. Since April, there have been incidents in which 13 people have died due to bear attacks, twice as many as the record high of six deaths in 2023.

As the damage increased, the government, starting from November 13, allowed police officers to shoot and kill bears with rifles. Previously, only licensed hunters or local associations were responsible for this task, but the rules have been changed to allow police to act as well. Authorities emphasized that police must prioritize safety above all else. The public was advised that if a bear is spotted from a distance, they should not make sudden movements or loud noises, but calmly and quietly leave the area. If a bear is encountered at close range, people should avoid turning their back, keep their eyes on the bear, and slowly back away to ensure their own safety.