Hachioji shoots a bear caught in a trap

On September 28, an Asian black bear^*1 was found caught in a snare^*2 in Hachioji, a city in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. The city had the bear shot to keep people safe.

The bear was in a farm field in Ozu, a part of Hachioji. The field is about 150 meters northwest of a bridge. A private group had set the snare there, and the bear was caught by mistake.

Takao Police Station told the city about the bear at about 3:30 p.m. The city then set up a team to deal with it. At 5:29 p.m., the bear was shot. The mayor agreed to this. The city followed its written plan for bears, and it set the danger level at 3. This was the first time the city has ever done this.

The city is now asking people to be careful. It says people should make noise when they are outside, stay out of the mountains when it is getting dark, and take their trash home.

1. *1 Asian black bear: a kind of bear with black fur that lives in Asia
2. *2 snare: a trap made of a loop of wire that closes on an animal's leg