'Stay away from angry dolphin': Officials warn Japanese beachgoers

Officials in the Japanese city of Fukui have advised beachgoers to keep their distance from a dissatisfied dolphin who is suspected of biting swimmers. In an effort to ward off the cantankerous critter, beach attendants at the seaside in the central area set up an ultrasonic device on Wednesday, according to the city.

There is a sign alerting dolphin enthusiasts not to handle the pets. Since the beach's official summer opening on July 9, according to local media, there have been at least ten instances of dolphin bites that have been reported by lifeguards.

According to a local official who spoke to AFP, two occurrences involving men in their 40s who were swimming close to the neighbourhood beach led to calls to Fukui's fire department. Although there have been few injuries thus far, local authorities have issued a warning about "possibly catastrophic wounds."

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"Dolphins tend to be considered cute, but if you approach wild dolphins carelessly, you might get bitten and injured," Fukui prefectural police cautioned in a Twitter post Monday.

"If you spot any, don't go near them," the police said, citing the case of a man who was bitten on the hand on Sunday.

According to Masaki Yasui of the tourism marketing department, the city believes that a single dolphin, who was initially spotted in April near the shore at a different beach, is responsible for the string of attacks.

We are aware that dolphins dislike having their back fin and the tip of their nose touched, among other body parts, said Masaki. He claimed that people had been trying to touch the dolphins in those regions, as evidenced by videos shared on Twitter.

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