A family in northern Japan got a startling surprise this week when a bear wandered into their kitchen, opened the fridge, searched through their food, and then left.
The incident comes as anxiety in the nation grows over a surge in deadly bear attacks across Japan.
What happened?
Police in the Iwate prefecture were contacted Monday evening by a family who reported finding a bear in their kitchen, as reported by Malay Mail.
Footprints later showed that the bear left through a rear door by the kitchen and searched a trash bin for food waste, AFP reported. A police officer also told AFP that the animal "opened the fridge, scattering its contents nearby."
Luckily, no one was injured. Yet, as the number of bear sightings and altercations has increased, people are on edge.
Authorities in Japan have already been mounting major responses to urban and suburban bear sightings, with police, hunters, and local officials working together to trap animals and warn residents when one is on the move.
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Why does it matter?
Japan is experiencing a growing and alarming number of bear attacks.
Last year, Japan had a record 13 fatal bear attacks nationwide. This year, at least five people have been killed since April 1, all in the Tohoku region. Tohoku is home only to the Asiatic black bear, while there are brown bears on the island of Hokkaido.
According to AFP, scientists have linked the increase in incidents to a larger bear population, shifts in the availability of natural food, and fewer people living in rural areas.
That combination leaves more people and homes accessible to wildlife while also making human food more appealing to hungry animals.
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Similarly, the BBC has explained that attacks and close encounters with wild animals are often tied not simply to aggression, but to habitat disruption, food stress, and the ways human activity reshapes ecosystems.
Repeated food-seeking behavior around homes can also increase the likelihood that authorities will need to capture or kill bears.
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