3 Bears Eating Fruit up Tree at Residence Culled in Japan’s Yamagata Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:48 JST, November 14, 2025

Three bears were found eating fruit on a persimmon tree at a private residence and were culled in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, on Monday, according to the city government.

The Sakata city government has given hunters emergency permission to shoot bears in urban areas, something normally not permitted.

According to the city government, one adult female and two cubs were culled. The adult was 145 centimeters long from head to tail and weighed 70 kilograms. The cubs were about 80 centimeters long and weighed about 20 kilograms each.