Fukushima city: A bear that was confined in a room at a company for attacking people on the street has escaped, presumably by unlocking a window from inside the room. Officials in Fukushima City, northern Japan, revealed that a black bear that had been captured and confined in a room at a company after attacking people in the city has escaped. It is believed the bear may have unlocked a window and escaped on its own. Police have warned the public that the bear may be hiding in the area and urged everyone to exercise caution.
According to Thai News Agency, a black bear attack occurred early Tuesday morning (June 2) local time. The bear attacked two men at a factory in the Sasakino ward before attacking two more in another area, injuring a total of four people. The bear was subsequently captured and confined to an office at a company.
Later, the Fukushima city government authorized the emergency use of tranquilizer guns. Local officials, including police, then surrounded the company building, waiting for an opportunity to tranquilize the bear. However, on Thursday morning, when they checked the room where the bear was kept, they found the window open and signs of escape, consistent with local officials' reports that police saw the black bear running out of the company's front door in the middle of the night on Wednesday.
Officials said that while the bear was still in the room, they saw that the window was still closed. Therefore, it is possible that the bear unlocked the window itself and escaped.
The mayor of Fukushima said in a press conference that an investigation would be conducted into why the bear was allowed to escape despite the presence of several experts in the area. He acknowledged that authorities had done everything they could, but the bear was smarter than expected, able to unlock the window itself. He also apologized to the public after being criticized on social media for providing updates on the bear situation too slowly, admitting that it took time to gather the information.