TOKYO — According to media reports and town officials, three bears that had snuck into a tatami mat factory in northern Japan and remained confined inside for nearly a day have been apprehended and slain.
On Wednesday morning, a patrolling official observed the bears, believed to be a mother and two cubs, as they entered the factory in Misato, a town in Akita prefecture, where bear attacks in or near residential areas have been documented on an increasing basis.
A factory proprietor stated that he observed bears roaming outside but never anticipated that they would enter.
Police officers and town officials hurried to the scene, bearing shields and helmets, and maintained vigilance. Local hunters unsuccessfully attempted to frighten the intruders away by using fire grenades. Subsequently, they erected two enclosures at the factory’s entrance and remained there for the night.
On Thursday morning, they were confined in cages, with the adult and two offspring in one. As seen on television, a crane was used to remove the cages from the factory and position them on a pickup truck.
Misato notified the local populace via urgent message on Thursday evening that all three bears had been apprehended. The bears were subsequently slain out of concern that their release would cause them to return to the town and pose a threat.
3 Bears Are Captured After Sneaking Into A Tatami Factory As Northern Japan Faces A Growing Problem
Norihisa Satake, the governor of Akita, informed reporters on Thursday that he intended to seek the central government’s assistance in combating the bears, including modifying wildlife protection legislation to permit hunting firearms in residential areas. Satake had previously warned of the increase in marauding bears in the prefecture.
“Otherwise, bears in residential areas cannot be eradicated,” Satake stated. “The issue is intensifying nationwide.”
In 2023 alone, Akita recorded 30 incidents of bear attacks on humans, most of which occurred in residential areas. According to experts, they descend from forests in search of sustenance because acorns, their primary food source, are scarce. Residents were cautioned against discarding trash outside, and hikers were advised to carry bells to generate noise, apply anti-bear spray, and lie flat face-down in the event of a bear encounter.
SOURCE – (AP)
