Last year in Japan, bears killed a record number – 13 – of people, and this year, as these animals hungry after waking from hibernation, they are being spotted more and more.
“An incident involving a bear occurred in the city of Fukushima, in which four people were injured,” the prefectural police said in a statement.
The bear was first spotted at an auto parts factory, so emergency services were called after it was explained that “workers had been bitten,” the daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported, citing police and fire officials.
Later, two more people were injured: one in a residential area and another in the premises of a nearby electronics manufacturer, Yomiuri Shimbun said, adding that the animal is believed to have remained inside the factory.
The statement said one of the attacked was seriously injured, while the others suffered only minor injuries.
According to official data, in the last fiscal year ending in March, bears were spotted more than 50,000 times across the country – more than double the previous record set two years ago.
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Almost daily, animals were seen entering homes, wandering near schools, and rampaging in shopping centers and hot spring resorts.
According to local media, this year, with bears waking from hibernation, frequent sightings are again being reported.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, one person was killed and five others injured in bear attacks in April.
More than ten bear sightings have also been reported in the Tokyo area this year, and last month, a man in his thirties who went hiking in the city was reportedly attacked by a bear.
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