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Sedated Bear Captured After Shutting 94 Schools, Record Deaths

6/9/2026

44 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

City officials sedated and captured the black bear on Tuesday, ending a hunt that forced the shutdown of all 94 Utsunomiya primary and junior-high schools.
Japan recorded a record 13 bear-related deaths in 2025 and more than 50,000 sightings to March, prompting a government task force.
Experts say climate-driven food shortages, declining rural populations and a national bear count of about 57,800 drive the rise in urban bear encounters.

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Story summary

City officials sedated and captured the black bear on Tuesday, ending a hunt that forced the shutdown of all 94 Utsunomiya primary and junior-high schools.
Japan recorded a record 13 bear-related deaths in 2025 and more than 50,000 sightings to March, prompting a government task force.
Experts say climate-driven food shortages, declining rural populations and a national bear count of about 57,800 drive the rise in urban bear encounters.