City Closes Nearly 100 Schools as Bear Spotted for First Time

Getty ImagesA city in Japan suspended all 94 of its primary and middle schools after a bear was sighted near a residential area on Saturday. Utsunomiya, a city about 60 miles north of Tokyo that has never had a bear sighting, announced it would cancel classes on Monday after a bear was seen near a park on Saturday evening. The bear was last seen on Monday morning, less than a mile from a middle school. Bear attacks have become much more common in recent years, largely due to climate change, which has disrupted bears’ usual diets, and the depopulation of rural areas, which has pushed the animals closer to cities in search of food. In 2025, the country saw over 230 attacks and 13 deaths from bear attacks. The Japanese government deployed troops to northern areas last year after bears attacked more than 60 people in Akita. Just last week, a bear mauled four people in Fukushima, prompting the government to close two nearby schools.Read it at ReutersRead more at The Daily Beast.