Japan city shuts schools as hunters search for roaming bear

Dozens of hunters and officials scoured the streets of Utsunomiya, a city north of Tokyo, on Monday in a desperate search for a bear that has been on the loose for three days. The animal's presence forced the closure of nearly 100 public schools, affecting primary and junior high students.

Since Saturday, the city government has received over 10 reports of bear sightings, with the animal spotted in various locations, including a shopping arcade and residential neighborhoods. Authorities urged residents to remain indoors or inside their vehicles for safety, deploying vehicles to areas where sightings were reported. It remains unclear whether one bear or multiple animals are involved.

This incident highlights a growing concern in Japan, which has experienced an increasing number of bear sightings and attacks in urban areas in recent years. Last year saw a record 13 fatalities from bear encounters, a trend attributed to the animals emerging hungry from hibernation. The number of bear sightings nationwide has more than doubled in the last year to March, exceeding 50,000.

Utsunomiya, a regional capital with a population of 510,000, had only recorded two unconfirmed bear sightings in the previous year. The bear currently being hunted was first spotted on Saturday morning and described as approximately one meter long. Its subsequent appearances in diverse locations, from a wholesale market to schools, have heightened public anxiety.

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We have vehicles out to areas where a bear was seen to make people aware and to urge people to stay indoors or in vehicles.