In a bizarre incident at a Japanese airport, air traffic controllers are facing an unusual challenge—a black bear has been wandering the runway, leading to the cancellation of multiple flights and creating a “stalemate” situation.
The bear first appeared at Yamagata Airport in the northern part of Japan on Thursday, prompting an immediate shutdown of airport operations and causing delays. When the bear reappeared on the runway just before lunchtime, flights were halted once more. Video footage captured the airport’s attempt to drive the bear away with flashing blue lights, though the bear managed to escape and is still at large on the premises.
Yamagata Airport official Akira Nagai confirmed to Agence France-Presse that due to the ongoing standoff, the airport cannot currently accommodate any incoming flights, resulting in 12 flight cancellations. Traps have been set by hunters and police are present to prevent the bear from leaving the airport, yet Nagai describes the situation as a “stalemate.”
The airport has announced plans to keep the runway closed throughout the evening.
This occurrence is part of a growing trend in Japan where encounters between humans and bears have reached all-time highs. In the past year, there were 219 reported attacks, with six fatalities. The shift towards urban areas by bears can be linked to the climate crisis, which is affecting their natural food sources and hibernation patterns, and to the depopulation of rural areas due to Japan’s aging population.
Recently, a golf tournament in central Japan had to be ended prematurely due to a bear sighting, further highlighting the increasing frequency of such encounters.
The situation at Yamagata Airport, while unconventional, underscores the broader ecological consequences of human-bear interactions in Japan.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/26/bear-on-runway-flights-cancelled-japan-yamagata-airport
