2009/08/14
Glimpses of Japan（外国人から見た日本）
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Glimpses of Japan (外国人から見た日本)
vol.252 The Bear Facts
2009.8.14
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It's not so uncommon to see news stories about deer, boars, or even bears
entering human-inhabited areas in Japan, and causing what might be called,
if one were kind, confusion. If one were accurate, it would be called panic.
Most of the police officers in the area, along with emergency services
personnel and sometimes local zoo staff, are enlisted in the chases.
Typically, it's amusing to watch all of these minions of authority getting
in one another's way, flinging nets uselessly, and trying to catch animals
that are far more nimble and quick than their pursuers.
Eventually, usually after many hours and sometimes after days, the creatures
are usually caught.
Monkey sightings in Tokyo some moths ago provided lots of hilarity in news
clips of cops being outwitted and outrun all over town, including in a mjor
railroad station and through entertainment and shopping areas. The escape and
eventual recapture of an African stork from a zoo recently was similarly long
and funny.
In the case of "dangerous animals" such as boars and bears, the local hunters
are often called out, and the animals are killed. In most but not all cases,
although the animals may have caused property damage, they haven't actually
caused injuries to people.
Having watched these stories, often reminiscent of the old Keystone Kops films,
for many years here, I was struck by a very differrent news clip on TV this morning.
In an upscale suburb of Los Angeles, California, a bear was filmed from a helicopter
as it wandered through several yards, up and along the tops of fences, stopping
to drink from or swim in swimming pools.
It spent a few hours in the neighbohood cooling off, and then wandered back off
into the hills where it lives. The bear was observed and filmed for some time,
but I saw no hordes of flustered police officers, no teams of people with nets,
and no crowds of people taking pictures with their cellphones as authorities
with bullhorns warned them to stand back.
I'm sure that if the animal in LA had done someting actually threatening,
a county animal control officer would have been sent to tranquilize it,
and it would have been taken back out into the wilderness.
It's a very different attitude and approach, both by the general public and
by the authorities.
If I were a bear, I know where I would prefer to live.
Glimpses of Japan vol.252
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