Japanese authorities have sedated and captured a black bear in Utsunomiya, a city near Tokyo, after several days of repeated sightings in residential areas, while another bear continues to evade capture in Fukushima amid a rise in wildlife encounters across Japan.
The animal was taken into custody after a series of tranquiliser attempts by a veterinarian and police, with officials confirming it was located roughly 2.5km south of Utsunomiya’s main railway station following multiple public reports of sightings, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
According to Utsunomiya East Police, the bear was finally subdued after three tranquiliser shots were fired over a period of around 15 minutes, following an earlier missed attempt.
Residents had reported seeing the animal more than 20 times since Saturday, including near homes, schools and parks, as well as swimming in a river and climbing fences in residential backyards.
The bear, believed to weigh around 100kg, prompted authorities to temporarily close all 94 public primary and middle schools in the city as a precaution.
Officials also said there may have been more than one bear in the area and urged residents to keep doors and windows locked for safety.
In a separate incident, another bear remains at large in Fukushima after injuring four people in a residential district, despite repeated attempts to capture it using tranquiliser methods.
The animal reportedly entered an electronics factory and was later seen unlocking a window to escape, with local officials describing it as “extremely intelligent” after it was observed drinking water from a tap.
Drones have been deployed in the search, while Japan continues to face a surge in bear encounters, with 238 attack victims and 13 deaths reported to the environment ministry in 2025.
In response, authorities have established a ministerial task force and introduced emergency measures, while local governments and companies are increasingly adopting technology such as AI monitoring systems, thermal imaging drones and automated tracking tools to detect and follow bears.