Japanese city closes 94 schools after first-ever bear sighting - VIDEO

The Japanese city of Utsunomiya has suspended all 94 primary and middle schools it operates on Monday following its first-ever reported bear sighting, a municipal official said, News.Az reports, citing Kyodo.

The city, which has a population of about half a million and is located roughly 100 km (60 miles) north of Tokyo, said the bear was first spotted in a residential area near a park on Saturday evening.

The animal is still at large, with the latest sighting reported early Monday morning, about half a kilometre from a middle school.

Bear attacks, including incidents in urban areas, have been increasing in Japan, prompting the government this year to establish a task force aimed at reducing casualties.

Last week, a bear attack in the northeastern city of Fukushima injured at least four people. Security camera footage from Fukushima Steel Works showed a black bear chasing a worker near the factory entrance before throwing him to the ground.

Asiatic black bears are listed globally as a vulnerable species, but their population in Japan is estimated to have tripled since 2012, partly due to a decline in hunting.

Experts say climate change has reduced the availability of natural food sources for bears, such as acorns and beechnuts, while rural depopulation and increasing areas of abandoned farmland have encouraged bears to move closer to human settlements in search of food.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev