19 hours ago
Airport Halts and Cancels Numerous Flights After Bear Wanders onto Runway and Refuses to Leave
An airport in Japan halted flights after a bear sighting
Yamagata Airport in Higashine, Japan, closed its runway after a black bear was seen roaming the area
Officials attempted to chase the bear away to no availAn airport in Japan halted flights after a bear sighting on the runway.
On Thursday, June 26, Yamagata Airport in Higashine, Japan, closed its runway after a black bear was seen roaming the area, according to The Japan News and The Guardian.
The Guardian reported that officials attempted to chase the bear off the runway to no avail, causing air traffic controllers to cancel 12 flights.
Footage of the incident shows the bear roaming the grassy area near the runway and a bright green high-visibility vehicle attempting to steer the mammal off the grounds.
The bear ran off but is still believed to be on site, according to The Guardian. Hunters and police reported to the site to capture the bear.
'Given the situation, there is no way we can host plane arrivals now,' Yamagata airport official Akira Nagai told Agence France-Presse, per The Guardian.
The official added: 'We're in a stalemate.'
The bear, which stands at about 4 feet tall, was first spotted by an airport employee around 7 a.m. local time, according to The Japan News.
CBS reported that the first sighting forced the airport to delay four flights. The runway then reopened, but had to be closed again when the furry animal reappeared around noon.
The airport plans to keep the runway closed until 8 p.m., per CBS.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Reuters reported in 2024 that Japan's bear population was on the rise.
According to the outlet, 219 people were victims of bear attacks from April 2023 to March 2024 in Japan. Additionally, over 9,000 black and brown bears were trapped and killed in the country during that time.
In December 2024, a bear was killed after wreaking havoc on a supermarket in Japan and injuring an employee.
Read the original article on People
