A municipality in Japan has shut all 94 of its primary and secondary schools following the first recorded sighting of a bear within its boundaries. Authorities in Utsunomiya, a city of roughly 500,000 residents located about 100 kilometres north of Tokyo, acted after a medium-sized black bear roughly one metre in length was observed near a park on Saturday. The animal was captured again on CCTV footage moving past two surprised pedestrians in the downtown area early Sunday. It was later seen in residential zones during daylight hours and again near an industrial area two kilometres from the centre at 4 a.m. on Monday. City officials have advised residents to secure doors and windows, avoid approaching the bear, and seek shelter in the nearest structure if encountered. Loudspeaker vehicles have been sent out to warn the public. Police and members of the local hunting association restarted their search on Monday morning. Japan has recorded a record 50,000 bear sightings nationwide this year, mostly in the north-east, with few previous incidents this close to Tokyo. A Russian hiker was injured by a bear last month in Okutama on the western edge of the metropolitan region, and another bear appeared soon after in the nearby city of Hachioji. In Fukushima last week, a bear that attacked four people entered an office building and a factory before reportedly escaping through a window. Bear attacks have risen in recent years, reaching record levels of deaths and injuries in the twelve months ending in March. Local authorities are testing measures such as CCTV systems with artificial-intelligence monitoring to track movements. Estimates of Asiatic black bear numbers on Honshu island range from 12,000 to 42,000, with populations believed to have grown alongside the rise in sightings. These bears can reach 1.5 metres in length and 120 kilograms. Larger brown bears are found only on Hokkaido, where males average two metres and can weigh up to 400 kilograms, with a population of about 12,000. Changes in the availability of natural foods such as acorns can drive bears into populated areas, while declining numbers of younger residents in rural zones may also increase encounters.
