Two Brown Bears Spotted in Park in Sapporo Culled After Emergency Use of Firearms Authorized

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:53 JST, October 24, 2025

SAPPORO — The Sapporo municipal government decided Friday to authorize the emergency use of firearms against two brown bears that had been spotted around a park in the city’s Nishi Ward multiple times since earlier this week.

Shots were fired at the bears at around 2:30 p.m. and they were later confirmed dead.

The revised wildlife protection and hunting law came into effect in September, allowing municipal governments to authorize the emergency the use of firearms against wild boars and bears when they enter residential areas. Friday’s case was the first such emergency shooting in Hokkaido.