- A bear was caught on video entering a storage shed in Minamisanriku Town, Japan, demonstrating unusual activity for winter.
- Residents are being urged to be cautious due to a recent surge in bear sightings and reports of garbage ransacking across Miyagi Prefecture.
- Experts believe increased bear populations, habitat expansion, and disturbances are contributing to bears remaining active and near populated areas.

A: Hey! Did you hear about a bear in Miyagi? Crazy, right?

B: No! Seriously? A bear? In January?

A: Yeah! Minamisanriku Town put a video on YouTube. They called it “a bear that does not hibernate.”

B: Wow! What was it doing?

A: It went into someone’s storage shed! The video shows it messing with garbage. It tipped over a bucket!

B: No way! Did they find footprints?

A: They did! Footprints in the snow, and scratch marks on kiwi fruit boxes! A family member even saw it earlier in the evening.

B: That’s a bit scary! They set up a phone to record it?

A: They did! It was a little bear, about a meter long. It was in the shed for three minutes!

B: So, bears are still being seen a lot, huh?

A: Apparently! Lots of people have been reporting sightings. Almost daily!

B: Why are they even out and about in January? Shouldn't they be sleeping?

A: Exactly! An expert says usually they hibernate. But there are more bears now, and their homes are changing. They’re closer to people’s houses.

B: That makes sense. Do they wake up easily?

A: They do! Noise and vibrations can wake them up.

B: Oh, that's bad! Are the babies wandering around too?

A: Maybe! The expert says some cubs don’t know about hibernation because their parents aren’t around anymore.

B: Wow. We need to be careful! Gotta keep the garbage locked up tight!