A bear rampaged through two factories and a residential area in Fukushima City on Tuesday, June 2, injuring four people and renewing alarm over Japan's worsening bear problem, CBS News reported.

The incident comes as human spaces and wildlife habitats increasingly overlap in Japan.

What's happening?

Fukushima prefectural police and local media said the animal was first seen at an auto parts plant, where the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that an emergency caller said that two "employees had been bitten."

The animal then reportedly moved through a nearby residential area and onto the grounds of an electronics equipment manufacturer, bringing the total number of injured people to four, according to the Yomiuri.

The Yomiuri Shimbun said the animal had still not been found and was thought to be somewhere inside the factory.

Why does it matter?

According to CBS News, official data showed that bear sightings in the last fiscal year exceeded 50,000 nationwide, more than double the previous record.

Thirteen people were killed by bears in Japan last year — the highest annual total on record — and local reports say sightings are climbing again as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation.

Scientists said the rise has been fueled not only by larger bear populations but also by rural depopulation. As human communities shrink or shift, bears can expand their range into places where people still live and work.

That creates risks for factory employees, families, hikers, and emergency responders — and it often ends badly for the animals, too.

What's being done?

Japan has increasingly turned to deterrents, including "Monster Wolf" robot wolves, as communities look for ways to avoid deadly encounters.

Tokyo schools have also recently handed out "bear bells" and practiced drills following sightings of a mother bear and her cub wandering into neighborhoods.

Wildlife officials advise residents to keep food and trash locked up or indoors in sheds or garages when possible to limit exposure to wild animals. If you come across a bear, keeping your distance and not startling the bear is crucial. Items such as bear pepper spray can also be useful to keep on hand.

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