TOKYO: A man in rural Japan found a bear snuggled up in his living room, local media reported on Tuesday, as the government prepares to relax laws on shooting the fearsome creatures.

Reports said a man in snowy Fukushima region on Monday evening found a bear lying under his kotatsu — a low table with a heating element underneath and a surrounding blanket that is common in Japanese houses. “I came home from work and there was a bear with its head shoved into the kotatsu,” the man was quoted as saying. The bear was said to be about 90 centimetres long.

The man, who is in his 60s and lives alone, fled to a neighbour’s place and phoned the police before returning over an hour later to find the bear and his food scattered around.

Police urged nearby resi­­dents to evacuate or lock their doors, according to Kyodo News. No injuries were reported.

Public broadcaster NHK said around midday the bear was still inside the house, showing footage of police among the tall trees and heavy snow around the dwelling.

It was the latest in a ser­ies of human encounters with bears in recent years that have prompted the Ja­­panese government to propose loosening restrictions on shooting the animals.

The plan, set to take effect next year, will give local governments the po­­wer to authorise hunters to carry out “emergency shootings” even in more populated areas.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2024