Japanese city captures black bear after multi-day hunt
The bear was on the loose for four days, prompting mass school closures and a dramatic search involving helicopters and dozens of hunters and police
The bear was on the loose for four days, prompting mass school closures and a dramatic search involving helicopters and dozens of hunters and police. A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year. Authorities in the city of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, on Tuesday captured a wild black bear that had been roaming the streets for four days. City officials closed all 94 public schools and urged residents to stay indoors after the bear was first spotted on Saturday evening. Locals in the city of half a million were kept on edge in the days that followed after dozens of sightings were reported — near a library, in a shopping arcade, at a university campus and at a market. A sign at a university campus in Utsunomiya says 'closed today' after a black bear was spotted nearby Image: Kim Kyung-Hoon/REUTERS The case gripped the nation and led to a huge search effort involving helicopters, police, hunters and city officials.
Bear scare over? The bear, estimated to weigh around 100 kilograms (220 pounds), resurfaced again near a private home on Tuesday. Police cordoned off the area while the animal was shot with a tranquilizer gun, loaded onto a truck and driven away. An official cited by Reuters said the city is yet to decide what to do with it. The bear was loaded into a cage and onto a truck after being sedated Image: Kota Kawasaki/AP Photo/picture alliance Authorities said they would keep city-run schools closed again on Wednesday due to a report that a possible second bear was roaming around. The bear in Utsunomiya isn't the only one causing a stir in Japan. Around 100 kilometers (60 miles) further north, in the coastal city of Iwaki, a black bear sighting also prompted schools to suspend classes on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a black bear attack in a residential area of Fukushima last week left at least four people injured. Security footage of one encounter showed the animal chasing a man and tackling him to the ground. That bear is still at large. Spike in casualties from bear encounters in 2025 Japan's government set up a special task force this year in response to a spike in bear attacks. A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, according to the Environment Ministry. The government estimates that Japan's bear population currently totals around 57,800. Their numbers are believed to have tripled since 2012, in part due to a decline in hunting. Other factors, such as climate change, are thought to affect the supply of food such as acorns and beechnuts that bears typically eat, causing them to seek out sustenance in areas populated by humans.
The BriefWire