The incident started at a little after 2pm yesterday, September, 18th (JST), at the Hita-Nyukawa Noriraku Mountain Bus Terminal in Gifu prefecture, about 170 miles northwest of Tokyo, according to reports.First cows, then all kinds of other creatures, now bears in Japan!
The 4 or 5 year old male black bear, which is said to have been a little over 4-feet long and 2.5-feet tall, entered the terminal parking lot from a mountain path and proceeded to start chasing one visitor. Another visitor tried to beat back the bear with a stick, but the bear retaliated, seriously injuring the man. Several employees then tried to help the injured man, but were also wounded by the bear, according to reports.
Still, they should be used to dealing with rampaging critters, surely?
And can we blame 'global warming'?
Nah, just ordinary seasonal change:
A researcher from the Japan Bear Network told Japanese reporters that “this time is the number one most dangerous period” within the year for encounters between humans and bears. Bears start feverishly looking for food to prepare for their winter hibernation. “While bears are obsessing over food, cases of contact with humans significantly increase,” the researcher warned. He also said, “You absolutely shouldn’t try to scare off a bear with a stick or loud noises.”Thanks for that important safety tip...
9 comments:
"First cows, then all kinds of other creatures, now bears in Japan!"
Attacks by bears aren't really as much of a surprise as attacks by cows though. Unless you're Timothy Treadwell.
I think it came as more of a surprise to his girlfriend...
Ha! And our govt think petting zoos are dangerous...
This pesky problem of feisty bears is easily solved, just follow the simple instructions on this page: http://www.bowhunting.net/susieq/bear.html
Bon appetite!
I've heard that shoving a finger up the rectum (of the dog, not yourself) is a surefire way of dealing with a savage dog - stops it dead in its tracks apparently.
Possibly this winning tactic could be applied to the bear, although when it's safe to take your arm out is anyone's guess.
"I've heard that shoving a finger up the rectum (of the dog, not yourself) is a surefire way of dealing with a savage dog - stops it dead in its tracks apparently."
Steve, please can you demonstrate this method...and how this is effective when the cur has it's jaws locked around your forearm.
Well, Henry, I've only heard about this method, so I can't vouch for its efficacy.
However, two possibilities occur to me.
1) You use your other hand - the one that isn't getting rabies-riddled puncture wounds.
2) You act in a pre-emptive manner. However, this may turn a savage-looking dog into an absolutely livid one and visit more grief upon you than would have otherwise been the case had you simply walked away from it.
In the meanwhile, having no empirical evidence to hand, there is this:
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Finger_20Based_20Anti-Rottweiler_20Protection_20Shoes
However on no account must you challenge the bear to a bout of fisticuffs
And can we blame 'global warming'?
Well actually... As well as drowning, starving, going deaf and shrinking in size (all stories I've seen in the media at some point), New Scientist confirms that delinquent polar bears have been driven to "run riot" by climate change:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17798-polar-bears-run-riot-as-ice-melts.html
This ominous behaviour is obviously spreading to other bear species. We have displeased Gaia and nature is now turning on us (as plenty of old SF B-movies have indeed prophesied.)
Post a Comment