A wild bear strayed onto an airport tarmac in Japan.
Headline: Wild Bear Shuts Down Yamagata Airport, Grounding At Least a Dozen Flights
Yesterday afternoon, Yamagata Prefecture's airport in Japan experienced an unexpected visitor - a black bear. The four-foot tall critter strolled onto the runway, prompting a series of disruptions that ultimately grounded at least a dozen flights.
Insight: The incident occurred on Thursday, June 26th, 2025[1].
As the bear evaded airport staff, air traffic controllers were left with no choice but to cancel at least twelve flights[3][5]. A video from the scene shows airport staff trying to coax the bear off the runway using a vehicle with flashing lights, but their efforts proved futile.
Insight: The bear remained elusive and continued to roam the runway[3].
With the situation escalating, airport officials made an announcement: "Given the current circumstances, we cannot accommodate incoming flights," said Yamagata Airport employee Akira Nagai[5].
Insight: Airport management suspected the bear didn't stray too far from the runway[3].
When morning broke, specialists were summoned to inspect the airport grounds once more to ensure safe flight resumption. Hunters and police were also called in to capture the bear[1][3][5]. As of now, the situation remains in a stalemate, with the runway still closed[3].
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Despite the unexpected wildlife intrusion at Yamagata Airport, all sports events scheduled within the prefecture are still set to take place as planned. The authorities are working diligently to ensure the bear is safely captured and the airport is reopened, allowing essential travel to resume.
