Bear attacks worker, ransacks meat section in Japan supermarket rampage

A bear that ran amok in a supermarket in northern Japan has been caught two days after it attacked a worker, the latest in a surge of encounters between bears and people in the country.

The bear wandered into the store in Akita City on Saturday and attacked a 47-year-old employee, who sustained a minor head injury, police said.

It was two more days before authorities were able to trap the animal – and in that time it ransacked the meat section and damaged some shelves, police said, citing the store manager.

Bear attacks are becoming a growing headache for the country, especially in northern Japan, where mountain ranges and lush bush provide an ideal habitat.

But climate change is interfering with flowering and pollination schedules, disrupting bears’ traditional sources of food, forcing them to venture out to urban areas in search of sustenance, some experts have suggested.

The bear, believed to be 1-meter (3 feet) long, remained in the store after attacking the worker, so authorities sent a drone inside on Sunday to find it, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Outside, police officers in protective gear and holding shields entered the supermarket from an entrance covered by a piece of plastic, according to local media footage.

The bear was later found in the storage area, so workers set up a box trap, with honey and apples to attract the interloper. The bear was caught on Monday.

The number of bear attacks in the prefecture was higher than usual this year after hitting a record last year, the spokesperson said.

Japan also recorded the highest number of injuries or property damage as a result of bear attacks in the fiscal year that ended in March, according to NHK.