Bear Causes Panic in Utsunomiya, 94 Schools Closed as Precaution

Tokyo, June 8: A bear has created a stir in Utsunomiya, located about 100 kilometers north of Tokyo. With a population of approximately 500,000, the city has taken precautionary measures by closing 94 primary and secondary schools. This decision follows the sighting of a medium-sized black bear, nearly one meter long, near a park in the city on Saturday.

CCTV footage captured early Sunday morning showed the bear running in front of two young men in the city center, causing them to panic. Throughout Sunday, the bear was spotted in residential areas, and by Monday morning, it was seen about two kilometers away from the city center in an industrial zone.

According to the Japanese news agency Kyodo, city officials have urged residents to keep their doors and windows closed, avoid approaching the bear if spotted, and seek shelter in the nearest safe building. Public announcement vehicles have been deployed to alert local residents. The police and local hunting associations resumed their search for the bear on Monday morning.

This year, Japan has recorded a staggering 50,000 bear sightings, predominantly in the northeastern regions of the country. Typically, bears are not seen so close to Tokyo.

However, last month, a Russian mountaineer was injured in a bear attack in Okutama. Shortly after, another bear was spotted in Hachioji. Just last week, a bear attacked four individuals in Fukushima before entering a company office, injuring an employee.

In recent years, incidents of bear attacks in Japan have been on the rise. As of March, deaths and injuries from bear attacks reached record levels. Local governments are working on various measures to address this issue, including monitoring bear activities using AI-connected CCTV cameras.

While exact numbers are not available, the population of Asian black bears on Japan’s main island, Honshu, is estimated to be between 12,000 and 42,000. Both the number of bears and sightings are believed to be increasing. These bears can grow up to 1.5 meters long and weigh as much as 120 kilograms.

Meanwhile, large brown bears are found only on the northern island of Hokkaido. Adult male brown bears average about 2 meters in length and can weigh up to 400 kilograms, with an estimated population of around 12,000.

Reports from NHK Japan, citing experts, indicate that fluctuations in the production of key food sources for bears, such as acorns, drive them into towns and villages in search of food. Additionally, a decline in rural populations, especially among the youth, has led to quieter residential areas, increasing the chances of bear encounters with humans.