
Bear suspected in a wave of home break-ins in rural Japan
Authorities in Shizukuishi, Iwate Prefecture, are searching for a large Asiatic black bear after it sneaked into an elderly couple’s home and raided their fridge, amid concerns it is behind 14 break-ins across the town over the past two weeks. Officials have set box traps, installed electric fences around repeatedly targeted homes, and increased patrols as residents report multiple incidents, including a bear entering residences and a confectionery shop; experts say bears are growing bolder as rural populations shrink and fear of humans wanes.








