How Japan Used Drones to Catch a Bear That Closed 94 Schools

Quick Take

• Bears have a memory trick that makes leaving food out far more dangerous than most people realize. See bear memory behavior →
• The reason bears are flooding Japanese cities isn't what most people assume. Explore the ecological causes →
• Japan's bear attack numbers from a single recent year are far more alarming than the headlines suggest. See Japan's attack statistics →
• The Asiatic black bear looks small for a bear, though their speed on the ground and ability to climb trees make escaping them especially difficult. Discover their physical traits →

Nearly 100 schools closed unexpectedly in Japan in early June 2026 for an odd reason: a black bear was on the loose! In the city of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, a black bear was spotted wandering through a park, outside a library, and near several schools and a community center. The city received dozens of reports of bear sightings, which led officials to close all 94 public primary and middle schools in Utsunomiya on June 8 and 9, according to CBS News.

In addition to school closures, the city warned residents to take shelter inside nearby buildings and cars if they saw the bear. They also advised residents not to put out their garbage at night and to lock doors and windows to prevent bears from entering homes in search of food. Can you imagine how scary it would be to wake up to a black bear in your kitchen?! Because bears can remember food locations for years, this is a real concern.

Finally, the city used a drone to track the bear, which had wandered onto a university campus and caused all classes to be canceled. A veterinarian shot the bear with a tranquilizer gun.

According to The Mirror, this is the first time a bear has been seen in the city of Utsunomiya, although there have been an increased number of bear sightings in recent years. This is due to climate change and habitat loss, which have led bears to wander into residential areas in search of food.

All About Asiatic Black Bears

The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) isn’t the biggest bear in the world — it stands about 2 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds — but it is an excellent climber and can run at about 25 miles per hour.

Most attacks occur when bears are startled, defending themselves, or seeking food near crops or garbage. Killing black bears is illegal in Japan, but they are still often hunted for their body parts or kept in bile farms.

Typically, Asiatic black bears live in the mountains of Tohoku and other rural areas of Japan, which are currently experiencing poor harvests and a shortage of acorns and beechnuts that bears need to thrive, according to the BBC. The outlet also attributed the increase in bear sightings to Japan’s shrinking rural population and ecological changes that affect bear hibernation. In 2025 alone, 13 people were killed in 238 bear attacks, according to Japan’s Environment Ministry.

Earlier in June, another bear attacked four people in Fukushima, first at a car parts factory and then at an electronics manufacturer, according to CBS News. If you’re traveling to an area where bears are known to turn up, you should follow local wildlife safety guidance.