S/ Reporter/ The bear is approaching the fence. It might climb! The bear tried to climb the fence just now.

According to police, a bear was found roaming the runway at Yamagata Airport in northeastern Japan by an airport employee around 7AM on June 26.

The airport closed the runway at 8AM for around 30 minutes as a safety precaution. The runway was briefly reopened before the 1.2-meter-long bear reappeared.

A total of 10 flights to or from major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka were cancelled due to the disruptions.

Bear sightings were reported the previous day in Higashine City, where the airport is located, leading some to believe it could be the same bear.

A local hunting association attempted to capture the bear in traps, but the bear has not been caught as of June 27 morning.

Flights on June 27 are planned to fly as scheduled as the airport conducts safety checks and police increase patrol in the area.