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full screen Two brown bears, photographed in Germany. In Japan there are both brown bears and black bears. Archive image. Photo: Bernd W’Stneck/dpa/AP/TT
For over two days, the bear had a solitary party inside the grocery store, focusing on the meat counter. Then he was lured out of the store and into a latticed trap, lured by honey-covered bananas.
The drama unfolded in Akita in northern Japan. A 47-year-old employee got the shock of his life when the bear appeared and attacked him, including in the face, when the man was setting up the store before opening. He managed to get to safety, called the police and the store was evacuated.
It wasn’t until two days later that the animal could be lured out through the back door, with the help of a trap lined with honey-soaked fruit, bread and cereal, local media reports.
Once outside, the bear was sedated, and then euthanized.
The man in question received stitches to his face and head, but did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
Bear attacks are a growing problem in Japan. In the past year, six people have been killed in such attacks, which is more than in any other year since statistics began to be kept in 2006. And it is much worse for the bears – over 9,000 animals have been killed.
What causes the problems is unclear. One theory is that bears are venturing ever closer to human settlements in a Japan with fewer and increasingly elderly people in the countryside. Another theory is that climate change affects the bears’ access to food and winter rest.