2 Brown Bears, Believed to be Parent, Cub, Spotted in Hokkaido; Schools Nearby Closed for Safety

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:44 JST, June 11, 2024

Two brown bears, believed to be a parent and a cub, were spotted near Wakkanai Minami Elementary School in a residential area in Wakkanai, Hokkaido, on Monday night and the predawn hours of Tuesday.

The Wakkanai city board of education closed the schools, Wakkanai Minato Elementary School and Wakkanai Minami Junior High School, on Tuesday.

According to the city government, a bicycle newspaper delivery person spotted brown bears on the ground of Wakkanai Minami Elementary School at around 2:35 a.m. on Tuesday. Also, a resident saw brown bears on a street near a park, about 2 kilometers away from the school, at around 8:55 p.m. on Monday.

The Wakkanai police station and the city searched the nearby areas but found no sign of the brown bears.