A family in northern Japan called police after finding a bear in their kitchen, an official said Wednesday, as anxiety over the animal?grows following a surge in deadly maulings.

Bears have killed at least five people in Japan since April 1, all in Tohoku, after a record 13 fatal attacks across the country in the last fiscal year, according to the environment ministry.

Police in Iwate Prefecture received a call Monday evening from a family saying a bear had intruded into their home.

The animal ¡°opened the fridge, scattering its content nearby,¡± a local police official said, declining to be named.

Footprints suggest the bear then ¡°made its way out through a back door adjacent to the kitchen and also hunted through a bin for food waste,¡± the official said.

The incident occurred in the town of Shizukuishi, where at least four other households have reported bear intrusions since July 5, he added.

In recent months there has been a jump in sightings after bears emerged from hibernation, and more bears have been straying into towns and cities.

In June, dozens of police, hunters and city officials took four days to trap a bear roaming in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, forcing mass school closures.

Before that, another bear described as ¡°extremely intelligent¡± ¡ª it opened a window and turned on a tap ¡ª attacked four people at two factories in Fukushima and remained at large for days.

Scientists attribute the sharp rise in incidents to an increase in the bears¡¯ population, a declining number of people in rural areas and other factors including variations in the availability of bears¡¯ usual food.