If you go down to the bus terminal today,
You're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down to the bus terminal today,
You'd better go in disguise.

For every bear that ever there was,
Will not gather there for certain because,
Today's the day a bear will be gunned down in a souvenir shop.

See it gaily gad about,
And make the tourists scream and shout....

Sadly, the bear involved in the fracas in Gifu prefecture at the weekend bought it.

Full report here. It was shot dead as it entered a souvenir shop. It seems a bit harsh when it was probably only going in there to purchase a Hello Kitty key ring.

The incident serves as a reminder that bears do occasionally come down from the mountains in search of souvenirs.

However, open your eyes a little and you can see them everywhere. Here's one I spotted outside a Lawson recently...


A bear wearing a nice pair of shoes.



A sloth of bears lying in wait for the driver to return...





Open-back trucks are a popular meeting place for bears (and dogs) in the city...





This one was happy enough to pose for the camera...


...before trying to eat it.


And this one was simply lounging about outside a shop, happily shouting abuse at passers-by....

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 11:30 pm. You can skip to the end and leave a response.