TOKYO, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Several bear encounters have been reported in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, over the weekend.
In the city of Shiogama, a bear climbed aboard a moored fishing boat through its gangplank at around 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday. The roughly one-meter-tall animal dozed off on the bow before falling overboard and disappearing into the sea, Kyodo News reported.
Three crew members aboard the vessel took refuge in a locked room and were unharmed.
Police said bear sightings had been reported in the area since Friday.
In a separate incident in Iwanuma, also in Miyagi Prefecture, a train struck a bear late Saturday, disrupting rail services for about two hours. None of the crew or passengers were injured. ■