A bear that attacked a supermarket employee in Japan’s Akita City on Saturday has been captured, ending a two-day standoff that saw the animal wreak havoc on the store’s meat section, CNN reports.
The incident is the latest in a growing number of human-bear encounters plaguing northern Japan.
The 47-year-old employee sustained a minor head injury during the initial attack, police reported. After the assault, the around three-foot long bear remained inside the supermarket, ransacking shelves and causing significant damage, according to the store manager.
Authorities responded swiftly, deploying a drone on Sunday to locate the animal within the store. Footage from local media showed police officers in protective gear cautiously entering the supermarket, eventually locating the bear in a storage area. A trap baited with honey and apples was successfully deployed, and the bear was captured on Monday.
Sadly, the bear was subsequently euthanized, an Akita City Hall spokesperson confirmed to the news outlet. The spokesperson added that bear attacks in the prefecture are exceeding usual levels this year, following a record number of incidents last year. Nationally, Japan recorded its highest-ever number of bear-related injuries and property damage in the fiscal year ending March 2024, according to NHK.
Experts suggest that climate change is a contributing factor to the surge in bear encounters. Disruptions to flowering and pollination schedules are affecting bears’ traditional food sources, forcing them to seek sustenance in urban areas.
