A bear who reportedly attacked an employee and was holing up in the supermarket for three days has been put to death after it was found in a trap that had been laid near the store’s entrance.
The bear had attacked a 47-year-old man who was taken to the hospital with facial and other injuries in Akita. Local media reported that his injuries were not life threatening.
Licensed hunters were called to kill the animal, who was about a metre in length, according to The Guardian.
The Kyodo news agency reported that at first, the hunters were unable to spot the bear. They laid traps at entrances of the supermarket where he had eaten a large quantity of meat.
A drone was also deployed to locate the bear. Police found the bear in a trap, after a stand-off of three days, after the government notified that the sensor had been activated in the morning.
The Kyodo news agency added that the bear was put to sleep before the authorities killed it.
Northern Japan and its authorities are struggling to address the issue of bears leaving their natural habitat in search of food.
Over 219 casualties as well as six deaths from bear attacks across 19 of Japan’s 47 prefectures in the 12 months to March this year have been reported by the authorities.
As for the injured worker in Akita, he was attacked while at work near the supermarkets delicatessen section before the store opened.
He was taken to safety by another worker before the police were called in, Koyodo said. The store was immediately closed and there were no customers inside.
