A man in rural Japan discovered a bear resting in his living room, local media reported on Tuesday, as authorities prepared to relax laws regarding the shooting of such animals.
The man, from the snowy Fukushima region, found the bear on Monday evening lying under his kotatsu, a low table with a heating element and blanket commonly used in Japanese homes. “I came home from work and there was a bear with its head shoved into the kotatsu,” the man, in his 60s and living alone, said. The bear was estimated to be around 90 centimeters (three feet) long.
Panicked, the man fled to a neighbor’s house and contacted the police. When he returned an hour later, he found the bear and his food scattered around. Police advised nearby residents to either evacuate or lock their doors. No injuries were reported.
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By midday on Tuesday, public broadcaster NHK reported that the bear was still inside the home, with footage showing police officers surrounding the snow-covered property, which was situated among tall trees.
This incident highlights the increasing number of bear encounters in Japan in recent years, prompting the government to propose relaxing restrictions on shooting such animals. The new policy, expected to take effect next year, would give local authorities the power to approve “emergency shootings” even in more populated areas.
Experts have linked the rise in bear sightings to the declining human population in rural Japan, forcing hungry bears to come closer to towns. Other contributing factors include climate change, which has disrupted food sources and hibernation patterns. This year, Japan recorded its warmest summer on record.
In the past fiscal year, Japan recorded six fatalities due to bear attacks and over 9,000 bears were killed. Earlier this month, a bear rampaged through a supermarket in northern Akita for two days before being lured out with honey-coated food. The bear injured a 47-year-old man and caused damage to the meat department before authorities evacuated the store.
