An Asian black bear that fell into the ocean tries to climb a seawall near Akahama fishing port in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, on May 2. (Provided by Satoki Oba)

Photo/Illutration An Asian black bear swims near the Akahama fishing port in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, on May 2. (Provided by Otsuchi town government)

OTSUCHI, Iwate Prefecture—A frail aging Asian black bear that fell into the ocean here drew cheers of encouragement and raised safety concerns before leading police and hunters on a daylong search.

The female bear was caught on the night of May 3 and released into the mountains the following day.

According to staff at the Morioka city zoo in Iwate Prefecture, the bear was 1.1 meters tall, weighed 50-60 kilograms and suffered from vision problems.

Based on the condition of her teeth, the bear was estimated to be older than 20, which is elderly for a bear.

The bear wandered into the residential area of Otsuchi and apparently became unable to return to the mountains, the zoo staff said.

A resident who was talking a walk around 6 a.m. on May 2 saw the bear at the Akahama fishing port in Otsuchi, according to town officials. The bear then moved to a nearby gutter.

Town officials and police officers, concerned that the bear could attack children walking to school, began searching for the animal.

She was eventually found swimming in the ocean near the port, about 100 meters from the gutter.

Officials believe the bear used a road located in a gap in the seawall, but she accidentally fell into the water.

The concrete seawall juts up 2 meters from the water surface where the bear was swimming.
She repeatedly tried to climb the wall to reach dry land, but her struggles continued.

The scene drew a small crowd of residents as well as hunters on the quay. They were nervous at first but soon started cheering for the bear.

“Are you all right?” they yelled. “Go for it!”

Just after 9:30 a.m., the bear found a way to climb up the seawall, and after a 20-minute effort, she managed to reach land.

Although the bear appeared exhausted, residents still feared for their safety. They kept a safe distance from the bear as she walked around for a while.

Around 10:50 a.m., the bear headed to a dockyard storage facility on the beach, and then disappeared.

Paw prints were found all around the storage area, and police discovered that the bear had taken refuge under the floor of the facility.

“The bear was in the water, an unfamiliar environment, for long hours, so I guess it needed to rest for a while,” a resident said.

On the morning of May 3, the bear emerged from under the floor, eluded a trap that had been set up and wandered around the town.

She fell into a canal and ran off into underground waterways.

Later at night, hunters enticed the bear to come to an entrance of the waterways.

There, a veterinary doctor from the Morioka zoo shot a blow dart and tranquilized the bear.

The bear was so weak that the doctor gave her a vitamin injection.

She was released on the morning of May 4.

Bear sightings are common in Iwate Prefecture in the northeastern Tohoku region.

A prefectural official in charge of natural conservation said bears are now more frequently entering residential areas. The official warned residents not to provoke bears, to stay indoors if one is seen, and to immediately report any bear sighting to the police.

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