Officials set up traps and electric fences after 14 break-ins recored in one town in two weeks, amid fears of a repeat offender
Authorities are searching for a bear that sneaked into the home of an elderly couple and raided their fridge amid concerns it may be behind 14 break-ins across a Japanese town in the past fortnight.
On Monday evening, Mitsuo Matsubara, 87, was confronted by a large Asiatic black bear when he went to investigate a noise in his kitchen. His fridge was open, and food was strewn across the floor. His wife called the police.
Break-ins have now been reported at five locations in the north-eastern town of Shizukuishi, leading officials to suspect one bear may be a repeat offender. They have set up box traps, installed electric fences around repeatedly targeted houses and deployed patrols to warn people about the bear.
“It’s unusual for a bear to break into the same place multiple times,” said Shiho Chida, a bear specialist with the nature division in Iwate prefecture, where the town lies. “It’s possible this is the same animal, so we want to capture it as soon as possible.”
