Latest news with #AkiraNagai
Washington Post
15 hours ago
- Washington Post
Small bear disrupts Japanese airport, prompting low-speed chase on runway
Officials at a small airport in northern Japan conducted a low-speed car chase Thursday to thwart a security risk: a small black bear. An employee at Yamagata airport in Higashine, Yamagata Prefecture spotted the bear near the runway early Thursday morning, according to Japanese outlet Yomiuri Shimbun. Airport personnel briefly shut down operations to run safety checks when staff lost sight of the bear, Yomiuri Shimbun reported. The bear, about four feet tall, reemerged around noon to cause a level of havoc three times its size: Twelve flights were canceled Thursday as airport employees chased the bear around the runway, Yamagata airport official Akira Nagai told Agence France-Presse. 'We're in a stalemate now,' Nagai said at the time, noting that the airport would remain closed until 8 p.m. as they assessed the situation. Nagai confirmed to The Washington Post on Friday that the airport had resumed operations Thursday night after the bear seemed to disappear once more. Yamagata is one of the smaller airports in Japan. The sighting comes as Japan wrestles with an uptick in bear sightings — some of which have resulted in fatalities, Japanese outlet Kyodo News reported in April. Footage from Japan's Nippon TV showed the bear walking through a grassy field and running onto a runway Thursday as a bright-colored car followed behind. In one scene, the bear puts its paws on a fence. 'Given the situation there is no way we can host plane arrivals now,' Nagai told AFP that day. Nagai said hunters were hired to trap the bear. Local police also joined the effort by surrounding the premise, he added. The bear, to Nagai's knowledge, has not been captured. Local hunters are on the lookout. Nagai said he suspects the bear is hiding in the bushes or forest near the airport. Bear sightings — and attacks — in Japan have become increasingly common. Last January, Japan's Ministry of the Environment estimated that the number of bear sightings between April 2023 and October 2023, which is believed to be more than 19,000, surpassed the 18,000 sightings reported in 2020. A week before the black bear delayed flights at Yamagata airport, bear sightings caused a school to move a sports event indoors in Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture, according to Yomiuri Shimbun. Cate Brown contributed to this report.
Tokyo Weekender
a day ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Black Bear Causes Chaos at Yamagata Airport
A black bear caused chaos at Yamagata Airport on Thursday, forcing air traffic controllers to cancel more than 10 flights. It was first spotted near the runway at approximately 7 a.m. Officials shut operations down, leading to a delay of up to an hour for flights. The large mammal then reappeared around noon, again halting flights. The runway was closed as airport staff used a high-visibility car to chase the bear away. 'Given the situation, there is no way we can host plane arrivals now,' said Yamagata airport official Akira Nagai. He added, 'We're in a stalemate.' Three box traps were set up. However, at the time of writing, the bear still hasn't been caught. It hasn't been seen since yesterday at around 3 p.m. Currently, operations are continuing as normal at the airport. Bear Injures Two Men in Nagano Prefecture On the same day that the black bear was wreaking havoc at Yamagata Airport, two forestry workers were attacked by a bear in Agematsu, Nagano Prefecture. They were spraying deer repellent in a forest at the time of the attack. According to the Nagano Prefectural Police and the fire department, the bear first bit the face of a 32-year-old man. The second man, aged 64, was bitten on his right leg. Both men were conscious as they were taken to hospital. In April, Japan enacted a revised law allowing municipalities to authorize the 'emergency shootings' of dangerous animals that enter urban areas. Approved by the House of Councilors, it will take effect before the end of the year. A record-high 219 casualties, including six deaths, from bear attacks were reported in Japan in the 12 months to April 2024. Related Posts Bear Captured After Raiding Supermarket in Akita City for Several Days Why Nara's Sacred Deer Are Attacking Tourists A Surprise Christmas Guest: Bear Found Under Kotatsu Blanket in a Japanese Home
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
Bear roaming at the runway halts flights at Japanese airport
A bear roaming the runway forced a Japanese airport to cancel flights on Thursday and declare itself off-limits to passengers for the day. The black bear appeared at northern Japan's Yamagata Airport early morning, immediately prompting the closure of its runway. This first sighting resulted in a delay of up to an hour of four flights, before the animal reemerged around noon, this time "running" on the runway. Airport staff used a car to chase it away and closed the runway again, with the bear still at large somewhere in the facility. "Given the situation there is no way we can host plane arrivals now," Yamagata Airport official Akira Nagai told AFP Thursday evening, adding the second closure led to 12 flight cancellations. With hunters brought in to set up a trap and police officers surrounding the airport to prevent the bear from escaping, "we're in a stalemate now", Nagai said. The facility plans to keep the runway closed till around 8:00 pm, the official said. Human encounters with bears have reached record levels in Japan, with 219 people attacked and six deaths 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. Climate change affecting food sources and hibernation times, along with depopulation caused by an ageing society, are causing bears to venture into towns more frequently, scientists say. Agence France-Presse
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
‘We're in a stalemate': Bear evades capture on airport runway as flights cancelled
A bear who managed to get onto a runway at a Japanese airport caused aviation havoc after staff had to cancel flights while trying to catch the trespassing animal. Video clips have captured a black bear roaming across Yamagata Airport's runway on Thursday, while an airport vehicle followed the bear in pursuit. The bear caused initial disruption earlier that day, first appearing around 7am, resulting in flight delays and the closure of its runway. The animal then reappeared at noon as staff used a car to chase it away, causing a second runway closure. "Given the situation, there is no way we can host plane arrivals now," Yamagata Airport official Akira Nagai told AFP, adding the second closure led to 12 flight cancellations. Domestic flights arriving from and departing to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo were all cancelled between midday and 6.30pm on Thursday, data from FlightRadar shows. Hunters set up traps to capture the bear, and police officers stationed themselves outside the airport to prevent it from escaping. "We're in a stalemate now", Nagai added, saying that the airport planned to keep the runway closed into the evening. By Friday morning, flights were arriving and departing as usual, indicating that the bear had likely been removed from the runway. Scientists say that climate change is affecting food sources and hibernation times, causing bears to venture into towns and populated spaces more frequently. It is not the first time an animal has disrupted flights and airport operations by sneaking onto a runways. A huge alligator wandered across the runway of an airport in Florida back in October. Witnesses estimated that the reptile measured 10ft in length as it waddled over the tarmac at Orlando Executive Airport. An airport worker was filmed trying to shoo the animal away as it walked close to an aircraft. Meanwhile, Dublin Airport has been known to deal with a spate of bird and hare strikes, as the wildlife live near the runway and can often hit an aircraft. In 2018, a much larger animal found its way onto the runway at Sadar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in India – a stray cow caused two flights to abort their landings. Yet it can be the tiniest of creatures that can cause the most trouble of all, such as when mouse caused a power outage at one of Europe's busiest airports in 2024. Part of Frankfurt Airport's power supply was cut for several hours when the tiny dormouse caused a short-circuit in an electricity substation. The little rodent caused hundreds of passengers to miss their journeys as eleven flights were cancelled as a result.
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Roaming bear sparks mad chase, flight cancellations at Japan's Yamagata Airport
A bear roaming the runway forced a Japanese airport to cancel flights and declare itself off-limits to passengers for the day. The black bear appeared at northern Japan's Yamagata Airport early on Thursday morning, local time, immediately prompting the closure of its runway. This first sighting resulted in a delay of up to an hour of four flights, before the animal re-emerged about noon, this time "running" on the runway. Airport staff used a car to chase it away and closed the runway again, with the bear still at large somewhere in the facility. "Given the situation there is no way we can host plane arrivals now," Yamagata Airport official Akira Nagai told AFP on Thursday evening, adding the second closure led to 12 flight cancellations. Hunters were brought in to set up a trap and police officers surrounded the airport to prevent the bear from escaping. Human encounters with bears have reached record levels in Japan, with 219 people attacked and six deaths 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. AFP
