On the 15th in Aomori City, a bear took up residence in a commercial building, causing a temporary commotion and leading to the establishment of a cordon around the area. The bear entered a building in the heart of Aomori City that houses a hotel and restaurants. It had been there since around 3 p.m. Police officers and hunters with shotguns rushed to the scene, creating a tense atmosphere. A person inside the building said, “It was about 1.5 meters tall… maybe a little less than 2 meters.
There were quite a few people upstairs too.” An eyewitness (Q. Did it seem like it got lost?) said, “The bear itself seemed to be in a panic, or maybe it just got lost.” People who couldn’t get out of the building were seen peering down to see what was happening below. Then a box trap arrived. The hunting association led the way into the building.
The box trap was placed between two glass doors, with the inner door left open. It seems they are waiting for the bear to enter from there. The building in question is 13 stories tall and houses a convenience store, restaurants, a clinic, etc., with a hotel on the upper floors. The building is located near the prefectural office, and National Route 4, which runs in front of it, is the main thoroughfare where the summer festival “Nebuta Matsuri” is held. On the 15th, there were numerous bear sightings in the city center of Aomori City, with nine reports received, including one near where the bear was staying. The city raised its alert level to the highest level 3 and established a task force.
They were considering responses including emergency hunting with guns. Was the bear that entered the building one of the bears that had been sighted? The situation changed about three hours after the initial report. After a gunshot was heard, police officers approached the door. No box trap was used, and the bear was killed inside the building. On the 15th, there were numerous bear sightings in all six prefectures of Tohoku, totaling more than 70 reports. Bears have also appeared in the city centers of Sendai and Morioka, and vigilance remains high. [TV Asahi
NEWS]
