A bear that had been confined inside a factory in Japan’s Fukushima after injuring four people has escaped – apparently by opening a locked window, local authorities said.Officials continued to search for the animal and warned residents to remain cautious. The bear entered a room at an electronics factory operated by Oki Sympho-Tech in Fukushima around midday on 2 June. Authorities sealed access points with forklifts and barricades and installed a trap in an attempt to capture it.Officials believe the bear escaped on 3 June by releasing a window latch and pushing the window open. Before fleeing on Wednesday, it was also observed operating a faucet with its front paws. According to Kyodo News, Fukushima mayor Yuki Baba said: “We believe it to be extremely intelligent”. The mayor had earlier approved emergency shooting measures, but the presence of flammable materials inside the building meant rifles could not be used, according to Mainichi Shimbun. A tranquilliser dart was fired at the bear at about 2.20pm local time and appeared to hit its target, but officials said the animal remained highly agitated and showed little sign of being affected, the outlet reported. City authorities also baited the trap with honey and apples, but the bear managed to eat the food without moving far enough inside to trigger capture.Japan Bear Attack (Fukushima Steel Works)Following advice from wildlife experts, officials switched off the factory lights and reduced monitoring activity in the area, hoping the bear would feel safe enough to enter the trap. Instead, the strategy failed when the animal escaped through a window shortly after 10.40pm on Wednesday and fled the factory grounds. The window had reportedly been locked, leading officials to believe the bear may have opened it on its own.A nearby self-employed resident in his 60s said he heard commotion outside around 11.00pm and people shouting that the bear had escaped. Hikers walk past a sign warning of bears in the area in Ome, Tokyo (AFP/Getty)The bear was first spotted on the grounds of Fukushima Steel Works on the morning of 2 June, where it attacked two male employees in their 20s and 60s. It is believed to be about 2 to 3 years old, according to NHK Japan. It later injured an elderly woman in her 80s living nearby and a 66-year-old security guard at Oki Sympho-Tech, about 500 metres away. According to police, the security guard suffered serious injuries, including facial fractures, while the other three victims were also hurt.Authorities in Fukushima deployed drones on Thursday to search for the bear, while local schools moved classes online as a precaution, the BBC reported. Bear attacks have increased in recent years in Japan as expanding bear populations move into areas with shrinking and ageing human populations. In 2025, Japan recorded more than 230 bear attacks and a record 13 deaths, according to the Associated Press. Meanwhile, the Fukushima mayor said at a news conference on Thursday that officials would review why the bear managed to evade capture despite hunters being stationed at the site.