- Authorities in Fukushima continue searching for a bear that injured four people and escaped a factory
- The bear attacked employees, opened a locked window, and drank water inside the electronics factory
- Police deployed traps and tranquilliser guns but did not use firearms due to flammable materials present
Authorities in Fukushima, Japan, are continuing their search for a bear that injured four people and then escaped from an electronics factory in a series of unusual events that officials described as challenging and unexpected. Police, hunters, and local government officers launched a large-scale search after the one-metre-long bear attacked multiple people and appeared to evade capture by opening a locked window from inside a factory building, reported the Guardian.
The incident took place on Wednesday when CCTV footage showed the bear chasing and mauling an employee in a company car park. A passerby then drove a car toward the animal, forcing it away. The bear ran into an office building, where it attacked another man before fleeing again.
After injuring two more people, the bear entered an electronics factory. Workers reported seeing the animal use its paws to turn on a tap and drink water. Officials responded by placing four traps at the factory entrance and deploying trained personnel equipped with tranquilliser guns.
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Just before 11 pm on Wednesday, a police officer monitoring the area saw the bear climb over a gate. A later search of the factory found that the animal had apparently escaped by unlatching and opening a locked window. Media reports showed scratch marks around the window lock.
Japanese authorities recently amended the country's strict gun laws to allow firearms to be used in residential areas during emergencies because of an increase in bear attacks on humans. However, firearms were not used in this case because flammable materials were present inside the factory
Fukushima City officials said the bear had been hit with a tranquilliser dart, but it remained unclear why the anaesthetic did not take effect.
Fukushima City Mayor Yuki Baba said the bear was seen turning on a faucet to drink water and appeared capable of opening a locked window by itself. He added that he believed it was an extremely intelligent bear.
Local schools were closed on Thursday as a precaution but reopened on Friday. The headteacher of a local elementary school said additional safety measures had been put in place, including keeping all ground-floor doors and windows locked.
