Footage filmed by the chairman of the hunting association in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, shows a bear thrashing violently after being caught in a box trap. The size of the bear made the chairman of the hunting association cry out in surprise. It appears to be an adult bear, approximately 1.5 meters long. Masakane Mamoru, chairman of the Miwa Hunting Association in Yamaguchi Prefecture: “I thought it was big. The bear bit and slammed into the cage, bending it. Bears are scary, after all… I’m anxious every day… anxious every day. I can’t go outside at night, it’s too dangerous.”
Bear sightings continue unabated in various regions. Amid this, our reporting team headed to Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture, where an unusual situation continues. Bears have been sighted in the town for six consecutive days. The damage is concentrated within a radius of 600 meters. In the past week alone, bears have entered the property of Yuta Matsubara’s house, which was attacked by a bear. The father had a close call when he made eye contact with the bear as it entered the room.
Yuta Matsubara, who was a victim of the bear attack: The bear came into the house and came very close to my father’s face, and that’s when we made eye contact… Furthermore, the family suffered damage such as calf milk powder and feed being devoured. Five days ago, the bear entered through the back door. Apparently having gotten a taste for it, it appeared there again on the 14th. There were marks on the back door window frame that looked like they had been gouged by the bear’s claws. Also on the same day, someone heard a noise and went to investigate… Yuta Matsubara, who was a victim of the bear attack: When I looked at the greenhouse yesterday morning, the potted plants had collapsed, and when I looked closely, there was a hole in the entrance to the greenhouse. There were signs that cat food had been eaten inside.
A large hole in the greenhouse. The bear that entered inside ate the cat food and then left. Yuta Matsubara, who was a victim of a bear attack: The bear keeps an eye on the house it has visited once, and moves around looking for new food sources. It’s really mentally tough…not knowing when it will come.A man living in the same town had his home ransacked by a bear on July 11th. He says the bear appeared in his yard again on the 14th.Resident who was a victim of a bear attack: My mother went outside making noise. Then the bear ran away from nearby. It feels like it targets the same place it entered once, two or three times.
I’m scared of nighttime.Experts point out that it is extremely dangerous for bears to enter homes in search of food.Associate Professor Takayoshi Yamauchi of Iwate University:In this case, the bear was clearly aiming for food, and it entered knowing that there were people nearby or inside the house.If the perceived danger to humans decreases, the appetite will take over, and the behavior will gradually escalate.That acts as a brake, making it difficult to catch in a box trap.It is a very abnormal situation. FNN Prime Online
Bear attacks continue unabated in Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture. A bear has broken into a refrigerator in a house and ransacked food, and it appears to have rummaged through a pot in the yard of another house. In fact, this is not the first time for either location. The bear has repeatedly entered the area, and there is a fear that it has developed a taste for human food, especially sweets.
■A house that has been attacked by a bear four times Disaster prevention radio broadcast: “The town hall’s agriculture and forestry division will now announce a bear warning. There have been incidents of bears entering residences.” Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture. Anxiety has reached its peak as it is unclear how long the attacks will continue. Yuta Matsubara, who was a victim of a bear attack (Q. The edge of the door is gone. When did you notice it?) “I noticed it in the early morning, but I did hear noises once between 1:40 and 2:00 a.m. It’s really scary.” The frame of the entrance was gouged out, and countless marks were left on the glass. In fact, a bear had appeared at this house just five days ago. This time, the bear persistently attacked the same house until the early hours of the 14th. This was the fourth time. What they had scattered in the yard was a homemade “bear repellent” made by mixing chili peppers and other things. There are limits to the self-defense measures that can be taken. Yuta Matsubara, who was attacked by a bear (Q. There’s a hole in it) “It wasn’t there until yesterday” Looking into the hole in the agricultural greenhouse, there was fertilizer placed there. However, it seems that this was not what the bear was after. Yuta Matsubara, who was attacked by a bear “There was some cat food left. It ate a little of the cat food and then left”
■Box traps were also set up inside the house… The bear attacks continue unabated. On the night of the 13th, the bear attacked another house where people lived. This time it was the house where Matsubara’s relatives live. The bear entered the kitchen, broke into the refrigerator and rummaged through flour and milk. Moreover, this house had been invaded by a bear twice in just one day. Yuta Matsubara, who was attacked by a bear, said, “It came in through the front door once and ate some sugar. It seems to have remembered that, because when it came the second time, it tried to open the front door and scratched at it.” The first time, it entered through the front door and rummaged through the sugar on the shelf. Yuta Matsubara, who was attacked by a bear, said, “It seems to particularly like sugar, as it was looking for powdered sugar. There was flour, but it didn’t seem to like sugar, so it just tore open the bag and that was it.” After the two intrusions, the town has set up a box trap inside the house. Matsubara and his elderly relatives are growing increasingly anxious. Yuta Matsubara, who was attacked by a bear, said, “Today and tomorrow, it might be better to evacuate to the community center from around 8 pm.” Relative of Matsubara, who was attacked by a bear, said, “Yes.” Yuta Matsubara, who was attacked by a bear, said, “Let’s all be careful.” Relative of Matsubara, who was attacked by a bear, said, “Thank you so much.”
■ “Quite addicted” to human food An abnormal obsession with “sweets.” About a week ago, donuts were found in a workshop shed of a Japanese confectionery shop. Subsequently, in five separate searches of a house, cookies, karinto (a type of Japanese sweet), and sugar were found. At Ms. Matsubara’s house, pet formula was found. And in the house that was recently targeted, bags of sugar were specifically sought after. What does this behavior mean? Associate Professor Yamauchi of Iwate University points out: Associate Professor Takayoshi Yamauchi, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University: “Bears operate on a cycle of eating large quantities of the most delicious things of the season. In the summer, sweet fruits such as nuts, cherries, and strawberries are naturally abundant in the mountains, rather than grass or wild vegetables. They move in search of these and eat large quantities, but human food is quicker, tastier, and more nutritious. They become quite dependent on it, and when a bear is in this state, normal defensive measures are almost ineffective.” [TV Asahi NEWS]
