Police in Iwate province, located in Japan's northeastern Tohoku region, reported on 14/7 that they received a call from the family of 87-year-old Mitsuo Matsubara. The family reported a bear breaking into their home in Shizukuishi. Earlier, the elderly couple heard a noise and went to investigate.

According to police, the animal opened the refrigerator, scattering food. Footprints indicated the bear entered through a back door near the kitchen, rummaged through the refrigerator and a trash can for food, then exited the same way.

Officials believe this bear is responsible for 14 home invasions in Shizukuishi town over the past two weeks. They have deployed personnel to track the animal, set traps in various locations, and installed electric fences. Patrol officers are also warning residents about the bear.

"It is unusual for a bear to break into the same area so many times," said Shiho Chida, a bear expert in Iwate. "We want to catch it as soon as possible."

Stuffed bears were used as targets in a drill responding to bear and wildlife intrusions, in Isehara city, Kanagawa province, Japan on 3/7. *Photo: AFP*

The incident in Shizukuishi highlights a growing national concern. Japan's Ministry of the Environment reports that since 1/4, bear attacks have resulted in at least 5 fatalities, all in the Tohoku region. In the previous fiscal year, the country recorded 13 fatal bear attacks, an unprecedented high.

The number of bear sightings near residential areas has sharply increased in recent months, following the end of their hibernation period. More bears are wandering into towns and cities, posing risks to communities.

Last month, dozens of police, hunters, and local officials spent four days to capture a wandering bear in Utsunomiya city, north of Tokyo. Prior to that, another bear, described as highly intelligent and capable of opening windows and turning on faucets, attacked four people at two factories in Fukushima province before evading capture for many days.

Scientists attribute the sharp increase in bear sightings and attacks on people to several factors: a growing bear population, declining rural populations, and fluctuations in the species' natural food sources. These combined elements push bears closer to human settlements in search of sustenance.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, Xinhua)