HOKKAIDO, Mar 18 (News On Japan) –
Authorities in Matsumae Town in southern Hokkaido carried out a brown bear response drill on March 18th, simulating a state of affairs during which a bear wanders right into a residential space, as police, firefighters and native hunters labored collectively to substantiate coordination procedures and response steps.
“Visual confirmation of what appears to be a bear,” a police officer introduced throughout the train, as firefighters deployed a drone to trace the simulated animal transferring via the city, sharing real-time data with police and looking groups.
In the drill, a police officer acted because the bear, permitting individuals to rehearse life like actions and confirm the sequence of actions main as much as a possible culling, with officers instructing hunters to organize for firing and confirming communication protocols on the bottom.
“Please proceed with firing,” an officer stated, to which a hunter responded, “Understood,” demonstrating the ultimate stage of the response plan.
The train comes amid heightened concern within the area, the place a newspaper supply employee was fatally attacked by a bear within the close by city of Fukushima in 2025, underscoring the dangers posed by rising encounters.
“We must approach this with a strong determination to never allow bears into urban areas,” stated Shiro Michishita, head of the Matsumae department of the Hokkaido Hunters Association, emphasizing the necessity for shut coordination between authorities and native teams.
Reports associated to bear sightings reached a file 5,260 circumstances in 2025, highlighting a rising sense of urgency amongst individuals, who carried out the drill with the attention that an actual incident might happen at any time.
Source: 北海道ニュースUHB