Authorities at a Japanese airport are locked in a “stalemate” with a black bear which has been roaming the runway despite attempts to chase it off, forcing air traffic controllers to cancel a dozen flights.
The bear first appeared at northern Yamagata airport in the early hours of Thursday, and officials immediately shut operations down, causing delays.
Then, just before midday the animal reappeared on the runway, and flights were halted again.
Footage showed a high-visibility airport car on the asphalt, trying to chase the furry trespasser away by flashing its blue lights. The bear was quick to run off, but is believed to be still at large somewhere on the site.
“Given the situation there is no way we can host plane arrivals now,” the Yamagata airport official Akira Nagai told Agence France-Presse, adding that the second closure led to 12 flight cancellations.
Hunters had been brought in to set a trap and police were positioned surrounding the airport to prevent the bear from escaping. “We’re in a stalemate now,” Nagai said.
The facility planned to keep the runway closed into the evening.
Human encounters with bears have reached record levels in Japan, with 219 people attacked and six killed in the 12 months to April 2024.
Last month, a bear sighting brought a premature end to a golf tournament in central Japan, with organisers citing safety precautions.
With the climate crisis affecting food sources and hibernation times, along with human depopulation caused by an ageing society, bears are venturing into urban areas more frequently, scientists have said.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
