Authorities in northern Japan are searching for a bear believed to be responsible for 14 break-ins in the town of Shizukuishi over the past two weeks, including an incident where it raided an elderly couple's refrigerator. On Monday evening, Mitsuo Matsubara, 87, discovered a large Asiatic black bear in his kitchen after hearing a noise. The fridge was open and food was scattered on the floor. His wife called the police.
Multiple break-ins spark fears of repeat offender
Break-ins have been reported at five locations in Shizukuishi, leading officials to suspect one bear may be a repeat offender. They have set up box traps, installed electric fences around repeatedly targeted houses, and deployed patrols to warn residents. “It’s unusual for a bear to break into the same place multiple times,” said Shiho Chida, a bear specialist with the nature division in Iwate prefecture. “It’s possible this is the same animal, so we want to capture it as soon as possible.”
Bear caught on camera attempting to enter farmhouse
So far, a bear has been caught breaking into buildings on a farm four times over the past couple of weeks, helping itself to milk-based cattle feed. It was captured on camera attempting to open the sliding door of a farmhouse at night but fled after the farmer shone a light and shouted. The farmer has since spread a homemade anti-bear mixture containing Japanese mustard around entranceways to deter the intruder.
Confrontations and close calls
On Friday last week, a resident returned home to find a bear inside near the room where his elderly father was sleeping. The animal ran outside when he banged on a door but attempted to re-enter. The man struggled for about 30 seconds to hold a sliding door shut as the bear stood on its hind legs, described as about 1.65 metres tall. The following evening, a woman discovered a bear going through food in her kitchen. On Sunday, it broke into a Japanese confectionery shop and took doughnuts from the fridge.
Bear's sweet tooth leads to repeated break-ins
The bear has broken into one house five times, consuming cookies, sugar, and karinto, a Japanese sugar-coated sweet made from fried dough. Record numbers of bear attacks and fatalities have occurred in Japan in recent years. Experts attribute the increase to shrinking rural populations, which make it less intimidating for bears to enter towns, and many bears have lost their fear of humans.
