A woman was found dead in a rice field in northern Japan on Sunday in what police believe may have been a bear attack, while a separate incident the same day saw a bear enter an Aeon shopping mall and remain inside for more than two hours.
Police in the city of Kazuno, Akita Prefecture, received an emergency call at around 3:30 p.m. that a person was lying face up in a rice field in the city¡¯s Hanawa district. Officers who arrived at the scene found an elderly woman collapsed and confirmed her death.
According to police, the woman had lacerations to her head and right hand, as well as what appeared to be bite wounds on both legs. Investigators are working to identify the victim and say a bear attack ¡°cannot be ruled out.¡±
Earlier that day, at around 11:20 a.m., a bear entered an Aeon shopping center in the city of Noshiro, also in Akita Prefecture. The animal remained on the first floor, in the furniture section, for roughly 2? hours. Prefectural officials subdued the bear with a tranquilizer blowgun before killing it shortly before 2 p.m.
Shoppers and mall employees evacuated the building, and no injuries were reported, according to local police.
The store sits in central Noshiro, about 300 meters southwest of city hall, in an area lined with restaurants and shops. The bear was an 80-centimeter male, city officials and police said. Store staff noticed the intrusion and used furniture to build a barricade to contain the animal.
On Friday, the government unveiled a new package of countermeasures to deal with the surging numbers of bear sightings and attacks. Communities in heavily affected areas have welcomed the move, though many have also voiced doubts about whether these new measures can be carried out effectively.
The package includes the installation of protective fencing and other steps to prevent bears from entering residential areas.
Akita Prefecture has seen four fatalities from bear attacks this year.
Local officials expressed mixed feelings about plans to expand the training of ¡°government hunters,¡± or municipal employees with hunting licenses who specialize in bear response.
An official with the prefecture¡¯s nature conservation division said that while having more trained personnel is good, there are concerns about whether those suitable for the job can actually be recruited.
The plan also calls for sharing best practices among local governments on developing staff capable of capturing bears.
¡°We want to learn from effective examples in other prefectures,¡± the official said.
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