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© KYODOBear killed after 2 days in Akita supermarket
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robert maes
Why kill him ?
two days to capture a small bear when you kill him anyway. For no reason.
he was just being a bear.
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Fighto!
Lucky no one was killed during the 2-day siege. It is regrettable the bear had to be shot dead, however.
Lindsay
Was it killed humanly or did half a dozen cops empty their guns into it? Poor thing.
Jay
So, a bear - a wild animal - wanders into a store, confused, scared, and looking for food, and instead of re-homing or tranquilizing it, the pencil-necked authorities decide straight-up execution is the answer? Great job, City Hall. In any truly civilized society, they'd show compassion, relocate the creature, and invest in solutions to prevent this from happening again, not just ruthlessly kill it. If kindness toward animals reflects a society's values, this decision screams authoritarian apathy. Maybe instead of setting death traps, we could consider addressing why the bear was driven into human spaces to begin with - oh wait, that would require effort and accountability.
BB
Yeah, really, a 1 meter bear? Surely such a bear could be moved somewhere safe.
iron man
Lindsay, very valid question. If it was box trapped, it could be 'injected' FIGHTO why do you jump to a shot solution, tho no mention of vet attendance. Some months ago I saw an article about a certain meat being sold in vending machines in... a winter destination. At least the animal appears to have enjoyed a enjoyable last meal. no quip. It was a wild animal, safety first.
Tokyo Guy
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” I've always liked that quote.
I mean it's evident that the bear had to be removed from the supermarket. That goes without saying.
It's what happens next that tells you about the culture of the place.
Then again, humans can't stop killing other humans, so it's a bit much to expect them to behave any better towards the other members of the animal kingdom.
I got into a pretty intense debate with someone on here yesterday about how I consider humans to be a scourge on the planet, and this is one reason why.
garypen
I never understand why they always kill the bear here, in a country with so many bear sightings. You'd think that in a country with so many bears and wildlife, there would be wildlife experts with the knowledge and skill to deal with stuff like this.
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Tokyo Guy
So, a bear - a wild animal - wanders into a store, confused, scared, and looking for food, and instead of re-homing or tranquilizing it, the pencil-necked authorities decide straight-up execution is the answer? Great job, City Hall. In any truly civilized society, they'd show compassion, relocate the creature, and invest in solutions to prevent this from happening again, not just ruthlessly kill it. If kindness toward animals reflects a society's values, this decision screams authoritarian apathy. Maybe instead of setting death traps, we could consider addressing why the bear was driven into human spaces to begin with - oh wait, that would require effort and accountability.
Very well said.
Geeter Mckluskie
If that society is Hindu perhaps. Most societies either hunt or raise animals for slaughter to be eaten. Those societies value protein.
Tokyo Guy
If that society is Hindu perhaps. Most societies either hunt or raise animals for slaughter to be eaten. Those societies value protein.
This is a fair comment. I'm also a vegetarian, and I often find it odd that people will say how horrible it is that the bear was killed (which I agree with) and then pop out to KFC or McDonalds without once thinking about the double standard.
Still, I guess it's a case of some sense of compassion is better than none at all.
Gaijinjland
Look at what happens to wild bears in Alaska that encroach on populated areas. Same thing. Nothing remotely unique to Japan.
nandakandamanda
They usually try to capture and release in Japan. In this case the supermarket was closed from Saturday till Tuesday. I wuld like to think they tried everything in the meantime.
Also, the bear attacked an employee, so they may have judged it to be unafraid of humans, and a possible continuing threat to humans even after release.
Not taking sides, but attempting to read between the lines of this event before making judgement.
MilesTeg
Alaska has Brown (Grizzly), Kodiak, and Black bears. The Brown and Kodiak are much larger and aggressive than Black bears. They are capable of and have eaten people before. This Black bear was only 1 meter long. Relatively small even for a Black bear. That's not to say that Japanese Black bears aren't dangerous. They are but comparing this situation to Alaska isn't analogous.
Mr Kipling
Is this a slow news release or did it take two days to find the bear?
Tony W.
Surely the poor bear could have been shot with an anaesthetic and rehabitated into the wilderness. No need to kill it.
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kurisupisu
The go to in Japan is to kill bears for some reason.
Japan has been using anesthesia for many years-I’m confused!
Sven Asai
Not to forget the psychological component. It's extremely difficult and rare for civilians to get a hunter's license and the right to possess or use any shooting weapon, similar for police officers in their career. So the own mind, after withstanding all those learning, repeated lessons and examinations and the bureaucratic torturous procedures and other hurdles, gets very very hungry for a relief and reward by finally setting it all into practice by pulling the trigger, if once a rare occasion of legal use without consequences pops up, like here in this case an aggressive bear caught in a supermarket.
virusrex
The headline says the bear has been killed, but the article only describes it as captured in a trap, which is it?
dutch
The bear had to be killed as it had already badly mauled one person. It had no fear and therefore there's only one solution.
As mentioned before, the numbers are way too high so police did us a favor here.
Bears are lower on the food chain, people.
Seawolf
It fills me with anger and sadness to see nearly 100% of the comments ONLY feeling sorry for the bear that was killed. Nobody of you living outside of that big bubble Tokyo? There are so many reasons this bear got killed....1.Bear population has been growing, leaving less space for young ones to establish their own domains. 2. The ongoing climate crisis has led to unstable weather patterns in the mountains, resulting in less food 3. The depopulation of villages and the aging of the remaining residents has led to rice paddies being abandonded. These abandoned fields are now overgrown with vegetation, providing ideal cover for bears to approach human settlements. 4. This particular location was far from any forested areas, suggesting the bear was at least disoriented, if not sick with something else 5. Bears possess excellent memories. Even if released into the wild, this bear would remember that a) humans are not strong and b) their homes offer abundant food. And the next time it might have resulted in a loss of human lives. Furthermore, releasing a young bear into unfamiliar territory justbefore hibernation (Akita is a bit colder than Tokyo already) won't do much good anyway, it either would have died from starvation, be killed by a stronger bear, or seeking food again in human dwellings during the spring very hungry!
wallace
Photo of the bear in the store.
https://www.tokyoweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/bear-in-supermarket.jpg
Tokyo Guy
Not if one attacks you and you don't have the means to stop it. Then you're the food.
CaptDingleheimer
That's my mother-in-law's local supermarket, a bicycle ride away. I've been there many times (not that that matters, it's just a supermarket; but I wanted to inject my little claim to fame into my comment here).
Anyway, I'm glad they killed it. It would've done it again, with its fond memories of easy pickings of the meat department. As they say, "A fed bear is a dead bear".
Local authorities need to have more autonomy from the national government to kill problem bears. The Ministry of the Environment's exercise of it's authority seems to be heavily swayed by animal-loving voters in the big cities who don't have to deal with this crap all the time like the villagers -and now big town dwellers- in places like Akita do. In an unarmed society, those directly affected can't really take matters into their own hands as we do here in the US, where in situations of nuisance wildlife, farmers and others practice a principle of "shoot, shovel, and shut up".
kaimycahl
@virusrex I read the article too but could BARELY understand what happened to the bear. Was it trapped or killed. This reads as a poor copy and paste job.
The headline says the bear has been killed, but the article only describes it as captured in a trap, which is it?
travelbangaijin
Once any wild animal kills a human - they found a new activity and look for other humans to kill
That's why they killed it and don't understand the pacifists comments
dutch
How did the bear die?
proxy
It had to be euthanized because bears become "repeat offenders" once they have learned about human food.
It would pose a risk to the public even if relocated.
Hard to believe that it was not shot within an hour.
deanzaZZR
Ah, yes, the "Japanese zen, live with nature" ending I was expecting.
Brian Wheway
@tony w, totally agree with you, all the zoos and vets I've known have tranquilizer darts available, if this is a area that is known to have a problem with wild bears, it would seem reasonable that someone in that area would have the equipment to deal with this situation. There were lots of other options to deal with. Situation, like luring it out side with some fresh salmon or something, shooting it was unnecessary and avoidable
Mocheake
They killed it? You have be kidding me. Tranquilizers don't exist here or what?
deanzaZZR
Certainly Akita Prefecture has an Animal Control and/or Fish & Game department as the USA does with field experience wildlife biologists, right? If no, why not? With the human population declining wild animal populations are increasing. It is science.
Makoto Shimizu
Bears are part of Japanese culture. According to CoPilot: Bears in Japanese folklore hold a nuanced position, embodying both positive and negative aspects, depending on the story and context:
Positive Portrayals
Guardians and Deities: In Ainu folklore, bears are seen as manifestations of the god Kim-un Kamui, the Mountain God. They are respected, revered, and seen as protectors and providers of blessings.
Cultural Heroes: In some legends, bears act as guardians and helpers to humans, symbolizing strength, bravery, and wisdom.
Negative Portrayals
Man-eaters: There are tales of bears that turn into man-eaters or spirits of vengeance, representing nature's dangers and the unpredictability of wild animals.
Ambiguous Beings: In certain stories, bears can be seen as both protectors and threats, embodying the dual nature of the wilderness—both nurturing and perilous.
Examples in Folklore
The Matagi Hunters: The Matagi, traditional hunters in northern Japan, have stories of bears that are both revered and feared. They perform rituals to honor the spirit of the bear they hunt, acknowledging its power and the respect it commands.
The Legend of Tugaru Otoshi: This tale involves a giant bear that was considered both a threat to the villagers and a sacred creature. The villagers had to balance their fear and reverence, ultimately learning to coexist with the bear.
In summary, bears in Japanese folklore are complex creatures with dual roles. They can be seen as wise and protective, but also dangerous and fearsome, reflecting the multifaceted relationship humans have with nature.
purple_depressed_bacon
Are they deliberately trying to wipe out the bear population in Japan? Why couldn't they just tranq it and relocate it back up into the mountains or something?
TokyoLiving
Why killed the poor bear..
enmaai
Can't remember what year but it was years ago, I was crying when they shot the poor bear to death in hokaido. So heartbreaking.
Ah_so
This sounds like it is based on watching one too many movies. While the animal will not have the fear of humans it may once have had, there is no evidence that they see attacking humans as a "new activity".
dutch
admits a new mindset in the bear. Followed immediately by....
CaptDingleheimer
@Mocheake
Once a bear associates people or the inside of their buildings with food, they will be on a one-way mission to go after people and the inside of their buildings, thinking there will be food. A fed bear is a dead bear.
There's nowhere they could release it in the wilds of Japan where it wouldn't find its way back to a populated area within a matter of days. And that's right back where it would head to.
BakaFugu
Having lived in rural mountain towns in Alberta for 6 years and dealing with bears almost daily in summer, the decision to kill the bear makes some sense. The animal had at this point become to comfortable in urban surroundings, meaning getting it to acclimatize back into the mountains is nearly impossible if the bear has been gaining access to food in urban areas for an substantial length of time. These aren't deer, they are bears.
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Geeter Mckluskie
That's exactly why we kill them