Bear Panic in Japan: Nearly 100 Schools Shut Down After Wild Bear Roams City Streets

Fear spread across a Japanese city this week after multiple bear sightings forced authorities to shut down nearly 100 schools while police and hunters searched for the animal roaming residential neighborhoods.

Residents of Utsunomiya, a city north of Tokyo with a population of about 500,000, were placed on alert after bears were repeatedly spotted in busy public areas, including a junior high school and a downtown shopping district.

Officials said the first sighting was recorded on Saturday. By Sunday, another bear had reportedly entered school grounds, while security cameras later captured one wandering through a commercial area at night.

The situation escalated quickly as sightings continued in several parts of the city over the following days. Local authorities responded by closing all public elementary and junior high schools from Monday as a precautionary measure.

Police officers and members of a local hunting association carried out intensive patrols across the city before finally capturing the bear on Tuesday evening. Video footage from the operation showed hunters tranquilizing the animal with a dart gun before transporting it away in a truck.

Authorities also warned residents to keep doors and windows locked, avoid leaving trash outside overnight and remain cautious while moving around the city.

Japan has been battling a growing bear crisis in recent years, with attacks and sightings increasing sharply across several regions. The problem became so serious last year that authorities deployed military support to some affected areas while foreign governments issued travel advisories for parts of Japan.

Experts say several factors are driving the surge. Climate change has reduced food supplies in forests, pushing bears closer to urban areas. At the same time, hunting has declined and rural depopulation has made it easier for wildlife to move into human settlements.

The latest incidents come just days after a bear attack injured four workers at a steel factory in Fukushima. Public broadcaster NHK reported that between April and early June, at least three people were killed and 20 others injured in bear-related attacks across multiple prefectures.

Many of the attacks happened in mountainous areas where people were gathering wild plants and vegetables, but recent urban sightings have increased fears that bears are becoming more comfortable entering populated towns and cities.