Bear Cub Seen at Hokkaido Elementary School Grounds; Dies After Being Hit by Car

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:01 JST, December 7, 2023

Police in Hokkaido received a call from Higashi Elementary School in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, reporting that a bear cub was on the school’s playground at around 9:50 a.m. Wednesday. The cub soon ran away but died later that day after running into a car driven by a hunting club member who was searching for it.

According to the police and the city government, the hunting club member found the bear cub on a maintenance road by a canal and was chasing it down when the cub suddenly rushed toward the car. The cub was about 80 centimeters long.