Police and hunters in Fukushima, Japan, are searching for an 'extremely intelligent' bear that attacked four people and then apparently unlocked a window to escape. The one-metre-long bear was also seen turning on a tap to drink water and showed no reaction when struck by a tranquilliser dart.
Bear attacks and escape
On Wednesday, the bear was filmed on CCTV chasing and mauling an employee in a company car park. A passerby drove a car at the animal to scare it off, but the bear ran inside an office building where it attacked another man before fleeing again. After injuring two more people, the bear entered an electronics factory, where workers saw it using its paws to turn on a tap. Local officials set four traps at the entrance and deployed personnel with tranquilliser guns.
A police officer on watch saw the bear climb over a gate just before 11pm on Wednesday. Searching the factory, they discovered the bear had apparently escaped by unlatching and opening a locked window. Media reports showed scratch marks around the lock.
Response and safety measures
Japan's strict gun laws were recently amended to allow firearms in residential areas during emergencies, but regular guns were not used because of flammable materials at the factory. At a press conference on Thursday, Fukushima City officials said the bear had been shot with a tranquilliser dart, but it was unclear why the anaesthetic did not take effect. Mayor Yuki Baba said, 'This bear was seen turning on a faucet to drink water and appeared capable of opening a locked window by itself. I believe it was an extremely intelligent bear.'
An expanded search involving local government officers, police, hunters, and drones was launched, but the bear remained on the loose on Friday. 'The bear was in an agitated state, creating an extremely difficult situation where we had to proceed with caution while monitoring its condition. The city will continue to work in coordination with relevant agencies and do our utmost to ensure safety,' Baba said. Local schools were closed on Thursday but reopened on Friday, with the elementary school headteacher saying extra precautions were being taken, including locking all ground floor doors and windows.
Rise in bear attacks
In the year to March, bears killed a record 13 people in Japan, with 238 serious attacks also an all-time high. Factors such as rural depopulation and fluctuations in bears' food supplies due to climate change are believed to be driving the increase in encounters with humans.
