TOKYO, Nov 30 (NNN-NHK) – A bear entered a supermarket and attacked a male employee today, in Akita Prefecture, north-eastern Japan, local media reported.
The man, in his 40s, was taken to hospital, after suffering facial and other injuries, although they were not life-threatening, Kyodo News reported, citing local authorities.
The man was attacked by the one-metre tall bear, near a storeroom, at around 6:20 a.m. local time and another employee called the police.
Police arrived at the scene and confined the bear within the store, according to the police and the municipal government of Akita.
The store in Akita city had not yet opened and there were no customers inside at the time of the incident.
Japanese authorities have been urging people to stay vigilant on roads, even in urban areas, until bears settle in for the winter, following a record number of bear sightings in the country, earlier this year.– NNN-NHK