Intelligent Bear Evades Capture in Fukushima, Japan After Multiple Attacks

Police and hunters in Fukushima, Japan were searching for an “extremely intelligent” bear which, after attacking four people, apparently evaded capture by unlocking a window from the inside. The one-metre-long bear was seen drinking from a tap and showed no reaction when struck by a tranquilliser dart. On Wednesday, the bear was filmed on CCTV chasing and then mauling an employee in a company car park before being chased off by a quick-thinking passerby who drove their car at the animal. Unfortunately, the animal escaped by running inside the office building where it attacked another man, before taking flight 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 to the factory and deployed trained personnel with tranquilliser guns. A police officer on watch saw the bear climb over a gate just before 11pm on Wednesday evening. After searching the factory, it was discovered that the bear had apparently escaped by unlatching and opening a locked window. Media reports showed images of scratch marks around the lock. In response to the rise in bear attacks on humans, Japan’s ultra-strict gun laws were recently amended to allow for the discharge of firearms in residential areas in emergency situations. But regular guns were not deployed in this case because there were flammable materials at the factory. At an emergency press conference on Thursday, Fukushima City officials said the bear had been shot with a tranquilliser dart, but it was unclear why the anaesthetic had not taken effect. “This bear was seen turning on a faucet to drink water and appeared capable of opening a locked window by itself,” said Yuki Baba, the city mayor. “I believe it was an extremely intelligent bear.” An expanded search was launched involving local government officers, police, hunters and drones, but the bear is still 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. The headteacher of the local elementary school said it was taking extra precautions and locking all the ground floor doors and windows. In the year to March, bears killed a record 13 people in Japan, with the 238 serious attacks also an all-time high. Factors including rural depopulation and fluctuations in bears’ food supplies due to climate change are believed to be driving the increase in encounters with humans.