Mass school closures in Japan city as bear roams streets
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
TOKYO: A bear roaming the streets of a Japanese city for three days forced the closure of nearly 100 schools on Monday (Jun 8), as dozens of hunters and officials searched for the animal.
The city government of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, closed all 94 public primary and junior high schools in the area after receiving more than 10 reports of bear sightings since Saturday - including in a shopping arcade.
"We have vehicles out to areas where a bear was seen to make people aware and to urge people to stay indoors or in vehicles," a city official told AFP, adding that dozens of hunters, police and local officials have been looking for the animal.
It was not clear whether there is one bear or more, he said, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
In recent years, Japan has seen an increasing number of bear sightings and attacks, especially in urban areas.
A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, and there has been a jump in encounters as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation.
In the last year to March, bear sightings nationwide topped 50,000 - more than double the previous record set two years earlier, according to official data.
In Utsunomiya, a regional capital and home to 510,000 residents, there were just two unconfirmed bear sightings in the previous year.
The bear now being hunted was first spotted Saturday morning, north of the city centre, and was described as being around 1m long.
A series of sightings followed, including in a residential neighbourhood that day, at a shopping arcade on Sunday, and at a park, a high school and a junior school.
Early Monday, residents spotted a bear close to a wholesale market, the city official said.
Newsletter
Week in Review
Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review
Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.
Newsletter
Morning Brief
Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app