Utsunomiya Closes 94 Schools After 1-Meter Bear Sighting Triggers Search
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8
Utsunomiya Closes 94 Schools After 1-Meter Bear Sighting Triggers Search
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8
Summary
Police and a local hunting association resumed their search Monday after a roughly 1-meter black bear was spotted repeatedly across Utsunomiya, including a factory district about 2 km from the city center.
All 94 primary and secondary schools in the city of about 500,000 were closed after the first bear sighting ever recorded in the municipality, with officials warning residents to lock doors and shelter indoors.
CCTV captured the bear running in front of two young men early Sunday, and the city deployed public-address vehicles as sightings spread from near a park to residential areas.
Japan has logged a record 50,000 bear sightings this year, mostly in the northeast, while attacks and injuries have risen in recent years and pushed local governments to test tools such as AI-linked cameras.