Yamagata Airport was forced to cancel flights last week due to a bear wandering around on its runway and the immediate area. According to airport officials and police, a local near the airport saw and alerted officials at around 7 in the morning.
The airport closed the runway soon after and searched for the bear for about an hour. They then reopened the airport, only to close it again when the bear reappeared at around noon time.
Airport vehicles were seen chasing the bear around, flashing their lights on and off, trying to get it off airport property (above photo). I guess this is the best an airport can do as they wait for local hunters to arrive; definitely one of the more unorthodox uses of airport vehicles I’ve heard of. 😅
According to the airport, the bear disappeared off the runway again, and a total of 10 flights ended up cancelled on Thursday.
Hunters set up traps around the airport in case the bear approaches the airport again. According to local news agencies, a search effort for the bear using helicopters has been unsuccessful as of today.
Yamagata Airport is located just north of Yamagata City in Northern Japan. The land is surrounded by a mix of farmland and neighborhoods, and the woods and mountains are a much farther distance.
This brings to light the increase in bear sightings in residential areas of Northern Japan in recent years. With climate change and increasing habitat loss, bears have been wandering into these urban areas more and more.
I frequently visit relatives in rural Northern Japan, and we often carry bear bells in case a bear comes close by. We’ve never had a close contact with one, but it’s common to see nearby areas on the news with bear sightings today. Airport disruptions like this one are a reality with the changing behavior of bears related to habitat loss.
Featured image by YTS Yamagata.
