Tension as Wild Bear Invades Olympic Stadium: "It's Still on the Loose"
- A bear was spotted trying to sneak into an Olympic stadium in Tokyo and guards tried to get a hold of it in vain
- Police confirmed the bear was not found but the search for it is still on
- The guards even blasted music and set off firecrackers in an effort to flush the bear out but they were not successful
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Due to Covid-19 regulations, participants of the Tokyo Olympic Games were forced to play without spectators in stadiums.
However, a wild bear caused tension after it was spotted trying to sneak into the Fukushima softball venue, which hosted the first sports event of the Tokyo Games.
Source: UGC
The bear then ran away even as staff at the stadium tried to tackle it and is still on the loose.
Tokyo's local media identified the animal as an Asian black bear, with the Sports Hochi daily saying the entire contingent of Olympic guards assigned to the venue spent a whole night searching the hairy creature.
The guards even blasted music and set off firecrackers in an effort to flush out the bear in vain.
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The incident was confirmed by a Fukushima police spokesman who said the bear was spotted on Tuesday, July 20, night, and then again on Wednesday morning, barely hours before the opening pitch in a match pitting hosts Japan against Australia.
"A guard found a bear inside Azuma Sports Park early in the morning yesterday. We also received similar information this morning," the spokesman told AFP.
The softball match, however, went off without a hitch despite the bear scare with Japan recording an easy 8-1 victory against Australia.
Furry animals have been problematic around the world
Briefly News understands the fury animals are common across Japan and regularly spark frantic hunts when they venture into towns.
They have also been known to attack and even kill local residents.
In June, a brown bear led to a massive search involving police and local hunters after rampaging through the northern city of Sapporo, which will host the Olympic marathon.
The bear mauled a soldier and a pedestrian who was hospitalised after the attack.
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Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Thando Mpembe Thando Mpembe is a sports journalist who has a passion for all things entertainment. In her spare time, Thando enjoys reading and spending time with family. She is an advocate for mental health and believes that a healthy body starts with a healthy mind. Thando holds an Honours Degree in Journalism from the University of Johannesburg. Her favourite quote is "Gentle reminder - you are not for everyone and that is a blessing". Email: thando.mpembe@briefly.co.za
