A bear entered a supermarket in northern Japan on tuesday and injured a customer, adding to a surge in bear encounters across the country that has already claimed seven lives this month and possibly an eighth.The incident occurred in a store in hokkaido, according to Japan’s NHK network.
The bear reportedly entered the store, appeared unable to find its way out, and became agitated before pouncing on a customer. While the animal didn’t appear interested in food, the store manager told NHK that it “seemed like it had entered the store, wanted to leave but couldn’t, and then became agitated.” The bear ultimately ran out of the store as staff evacuated customers.
This attack is part of a broader trend of increased bear activity in Japan. Earlier this month, two deaths were attributed to bear attacks, bringing the annual toll to seven. On Wednesday morning, authorities discovered a body in the Iwate prefecture with scratch marks consistent with a bear attack, potentially raising the death toll to eight.
Tuesday also saw a farmer in his 20s attacked by a bear in Akita prefecture, and a Spanish tourist wounded by a bear near a shuttle bus stop in Shirakawa Village, a popular tourist destination. “I frequently enough heard news reports about bears entering stores, but I never imagined one would actually come to ours,” the Hokkaido store manager told NHK. Authorities have not yet commented on the cause of the increased bear activity,but are urging residents in affected areas to exercise caution.
