One dead in separate attack. Over 100 attacks since April
Bear sightings in Japan are becoming more and more frequent, often resulting in fatal attacks on humans. An adult bear, about 1.5 meters long, caused panic last night inside a supermarket in Numata, in Gunma prefecture, on the eastern side, injuring two men and causing moments of terror among customers.
In a separate incident today, a man was found dead on a mountain in the Iwate region in the north of the country, public broadcaster NHK reports, in what is suspected to be another bear attack.
In the first incident, local authorities report, the bear entered the supermarket shortly after 7.30 pm, passing through the main entrance. Surveillance cameras captured him wandering around the store’s aisles for about four minutes, visibly disoriented. In that short period of time, he slightly injured two customers – a 76-year-old man and another 69-year-old – and then managed to escape. One of the injured was transported to hospital, and his condition is not serious. According to an official of the supermarket chain, the bear also damaged a window of the fish counter, trampled on avocados in the fruit section and attempted to climb onto the shelves. There were between 30 and 40 customers in the store at the time.
“He seemed confused, he didn’t seem to be looking for food. He was scared, he probably couldn’t find the exit,” the store manager told local media.
The surrounding area, about two kilometers from the Numata train station, is an urban area dotted with homes and commercial activities, but also close to mountainous areas.
The episode is part of a worrying phase of sightings nationwide and various incursions of the mammals into population centers. According to the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, 108 attacks by bears were recorded in Japan between April and September this year, five of which resulted in deaths. Also yesterday, the news reports, a farmer in the Iwate region was attacked by a bear accompanied by a cub, right in front of his home. A few days earlier, on Sunday, a Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear while waiting for the bus in the mountain village of Shirakawa-go, famous for its thatched roofs and a UNESCO heritage site. Experts link the increase in sightings and attacks to a combination of factors: climate change, which alters the animals’ eating habits, and the depopulation of rural areas, which leads to less human presence in the border areas between forest and city. Meanwhile, Gunma police have launched patrolling operations and urged residents to stay indoors and maintain high vigilance.
