Utsunomiya, Japan Suspends 94 Schools After First-Ever Urban Bear Sighting

A black bear was sighted for the first time in the urban area of Utsunomiya, a city of about half‑million residents located roughly 100 km north of Tokyo. The animal was first reported near a park on Saturday evening and was later seen close to a middle school on Monday, prompting officials to suspend all 94 public primary and middle schools.

The city deployed police, hunters and wildlife experts, and urged residents to stay indoors. By Tuesday the bear was tranquilised and captured on private property. The incident highlights a surge in bear encounters across Japan, where sightings have more than doubled to over 50,000 in the latest fiscal year and 13 people were killed by bears last year. Experts attribute the rise to a tripling of the bear population since 2012, reduced hunting, climate‑related loss of natural food, and rural depopulation that pushes bears toward human settlements. A government task force was established earlier this year to reduce casualties.

The school closures affected thousands of students and families, disrupting daily routines and local commerce while underscoring growing public‑safety challenges posed by wildlife encroaching on populated areas.