The city of Koriyama in Fukushima Prefecture had been under “tension” since April 7th due to the appearance of a 1.5-meter-long bear. The long battle, which lasted about 30 hours from the initial sighting, was resolved by an emergency hunting operation, the first of its kind in Koriyama City.
Parents accompany students to school at nearby elementary schools Oshima Elementary School in Koriyama City called for parents to accompany their children to school on the 8th following the bear sighting. A parent of a first-grader said, “It was a little far away, but my child kept saying, ‘It’s scary, it’s scary, it’s scary’ because of the bear.” Hiroshi Saito, principal of Koriyama Municipal Oshima Elementary School, said, “Safety and security are our top priorities, but we want to get the children playing outside together as soon as possible.”
■Bear that has been appearing in the city for two days A 1.5-meter-long bear appeared in the city of Koriyama on the 6th. On the 7th, it moved to the riverbed of the Ose River that flows through the city and remained there, completely unfazed by fireworks and water cannons. The same bear was seen on the 8th as well… At 9:30 a.m., the bear is believed to have moved about 5 kilometers from the previous day’s location and hidden in the bushes on the embankment of the highway. The bear had been moving north through the city since morning and had hidden itself on the embankment of the Ban-etsu Expressway passing through Kikuta, Koriyama City.
■ Traffic restrictions were put in place in the vicinity and an emergency hunting was held. The mayor, police, and hunting association gathered to watch, but a stalemate ensued. After about 6 hours of the standoff… The city decided to hold an emergency hunting. Traffic was restricted in an area with a radius of 200 meters to ensure safety, and residents in the surrounding area were asked to stay indoors… when the sound of gunshots rang out. According to the city, the bear was confirmed dead at 3:45 p.m. Koriyama City Mayor Takeo Shiine commented, “We conducted this with the safety of our citizens as our top priority, and we ask for your understanding.”
■ This was the third emergency hunting in the prefecture, and the first to be held in the Nakadori region. This time, it was held on the north side of the Ban-etsu Expressway near the Koriyama Junction. Traffic was restricted within a 200-meter radius of the site, and residents of nearby homes were urged to stay inside or evacuate to an area 200 meters away. Additionally, the Ban’etsu Expressway was partially closed from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. for an emergency hunt.
■Why wasn’t it done yesterday? On the 7th, the bear was staying in a densely populated residential area. Although there are many schools, kindergartens, and commercial facilities nearby, no emergency hunt was conducted. The Ministry of the Environment has created guidelines that stipulate that emergency hunts must be conducted “in areas within people’s daily living areas, such as farmland and riverbanks, where safety can be ensured” and “after ensuring safety so that no bullets hit people.” The bear was staying on a riverbank, so it seems to meet the conditions, but Koriyama City stated that “the bushes were thick, and the bear could not be clearly seen.” According to experts, April is the time when bears fully emerge from hibernation. Please check for bear sighting information frequently.
