A bear sighting on Wednesday prompted organizers of a golf match in Japan to cancel the opening day, marking the second time an ursine invader has halted play within the final two months.
The bear was noticed within the morning close to the primary tee on the Meiji Yasuda Girls match at Sendai Traditional Golf Membership in northern Japan on the skilled JLPGA Tour.
The professional-am competitors scheduled for a similar day was canceled, with organizers later deciding to scrap Thursday’s opening day of the match.
Organizers mentioned they might determine later whether or not to play or cancel the remainder of the competitors, which has a complete prize cash of $670,000.
“On Wednesday, a bear sighting on the course was reported and the pro-am tournament was cancelled to protect the safety of the participants, players and staff,” mentioned an announcement on the match web site.
“To ensure safety and to consider future measures, we have decided to cancel Thursday’s opening day,” the assertion continued. “We will announce details of the tournament from Friday onwards as soon as they have been decided.”
In Could, the ultimate spherical of the Twinfield Girls on the ladies’s second-tier Step Up tour in central Japan was canceled after a bear was noticed on the course.
Empty 18th inexperienced is seen because the play of the ultimate day has been cancelled after a bear is witnessed in the course of the last spherical of the Twinfields Girls Event at Golf Membership Twin Fields on Could 24, 2025 in Komatsu, Ishikawa, Japan.
Yoshimasa Nakano/JLPGA by way of Getty Photographs
The next month, a bear roaming the runway compelled a Japanese airport to cancel flights and declare itself off-limits to passengers for the day.
Human encounters with bears reached file ranges in Japan final yr, with 219 individuals attacked and 6 deaths within the 12 months to April 2024.
Local weather change affecting meals sources and hibernation instances is a key issue, however as Japan’s getting old inhabitants shrinks, people are leaving rural areas, and that’s additionally leaving room for bears to maneuver in.
Japan’s authorities in February permitted a invoice permitting hunters to shoot bears in populated areas.
In December, a bear that rampaged via a Japanese grocery store for 2 days was lured out with meals coated in honey. Police mentioned the animal was trapped and later killed.
Extra from CBS Information
