Sapporo is on edge. An ‘extremely intelligent’ bear is evading capture after injuring four people. The beast is said to be cunning, learning from past traps.
Locals are terrified. Police are on high alert. The bear, a brown bear, first struck on Friday.
It attacked a woman in her 40s. Then a man in his 80s. Then two more.
All were hospitalised. The bear is now hiding in the hills. Hunters are closing in.
But this is no ordinary animal. Officials admit it is ‘very clever’. It avoids snares.
It changes routes. It is a political problem. The governor is under pressure.
Questions are being asked: Why weren’t earlier warnings issued? Is the cull policy working? The bear’s escape has become a symbol of government failure.
The public wants action. But the bear is one step ahead. The game is on.
Watch this space.
