Himalayan bear injures four in Fukushima, escapes and opens window

In the city of Fukushima on Japan’s Honshu island, a Himalayan bear attacked four people – a 20‑year‑old worker, a 60‑year‑old worker, an 80‑year‑old woman and a 60‑year‑old man – during a series of incidents that began at a steel plant and continued in the nearby residential district of Sasakino.

Surveillance footage showed the bear chasing one of the victims, exiting the factory, opening a window and turning on a faucet to drink water before it was finally cornered and secured inside the plant. The mayor of Fukushima described the animal as “extraordinarily intelligent.”

The episode highlights a broader trend of increasing human‑bear interactions in Japan. Government data indicate that, between January and March 2025, more than 50,000 sightings of bears were reported nationwide, roughly double the number from the same period in 2023. The Himalayan bear population on Honshu is estimated at 42,000, while brown bears number about 12,000, reflecting a rise in bear numbers and associated conflicts.