Japan Captures 100kg Bear in Utsunomiya After 20 Sightings Shut 94 Schools
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 9
Japan Captures 100kg Bear in Utsunomiya After 20 Sightings Shut 94 Schools
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 9
Summary
Utsunomiya officials sedated and captured a roughly 100kg black bear on Tuesday, ending an hour-and-40-minute operation after residents reported more than 20 sightings since Saturday.
Three tranquilizer shots were needed after the first missed, with police locating the bear about 2.5 km south of the main rail station in a city of 500,000 near Tokyo.
The bear had roamed near homes, schools and parks, swum in a river and crossed backyard fences, prompting the closure of all 94 public primary and middle schools and warnings that a second bear might be present.
Fukushima still has a separate bear on the loose after it injured four people, entered an electronics factory and evaded capture, with officials now using drones to track it.
Japan reported 238 bear-attack victims and 13 deaths in 2025, as poor nut harvests, rural depopulation and ecological shifts push more bears into residential areas.