Cunning Bear Evades Capture After Injuring Four in Japan
WHO:
The Guardian - Yuki Baba, the mayor of Fukushima City, stated the bear was "extremely intelligent."
BBC News - Authorities in north-east Japan are involved in the search for the bear.
WHAT:
The Guardian - A bear attacked four people in Fukushima, Japan.
The Guardian - The bear was seen drinking from a tap and was filmed on CCTV chasing and mauling an employee in a company car park.
The Guardian - The bear injured two more people after entering an electronics factory.
The Guardian - Local officials set four traps at the entrance to the factory and deployed trained personnel with tranquilliser guns.
The Guardian - The bear was shot with a tranquilliser dart, but the anaesthetic did not take effect.
The Guardian - In the year to March, bears killed a record 13 people in Japan, with 238 serious attacks reported.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The incidents occurred in Fukushima, Japan.
The Guardian - The bear was seen in a company car park and later entered an electronics factory.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The bear was filmed on CCTV on Wednesday.
The Guardian - A police officer saw the bear climb over a gate just before 11pm on Wednesday evening.
The Guardian - Local schools were closed on Thursday but reopened on Friday.
WHY:
The Guardian - The rise in bear attacks on humans is attributed to rural depopulation and fluctuations in bears’ food supplies due to climate change.
HOW:
The Guardian - The bear evaded capture by unlocking a window from the inside, as evidenced by scratch marks around the lock.
The Guardian - The bear was seen using its paws to turn on a tap.
(UPDATED June 5, 2026 19:34 UTC)
A bear in Fukushima, Japan, has attacked four people, prompting local authorities to search for the animal, which has been described as "extremely intelligent" by the city's mayor, Yuki Baba. The bear was filmed drinking from a tap and later chased and mauled an employee in a company car park before injuring two more individuals after entering an electronics factory, where local officials have set traps and deployed trained personnel with tranquilliser guns. Despite being shot with a tranquilliser dart, the anaesthetic did not take effect, and this incident is part of a troubling trend, as bears killed a record 13 people in Japan in the year leading up to March, with a total of 238 serious attacks reported.