Key facts
- Utsunomiya, Japan, suspended 94 primary and middle schools on Monday due to a bear sighting.
- The bear was first observed in a residential area near a park on Saturday evening.
- The animal was last sighted early Monday morning approximately half a kilometer from a middle school.
- Bear attacks have been increasing in Japan, leading the government to establish a task force.
- Asiatic black bear numbers have reportedly tripled in Japan since 2012.
The Japanese city of Utsunomiya has suspended all 94 of its primary and middle schools on Monday after the city's first-ever bear sighting. The bear was first observed in a residential area near a park on Saturday evening and was last seen early Monday morning about half a kilometer from a middle school.
Bear attacks, including in urban areas, have been increasing in Japan, prompting the government to establish a task force this year aimed at reducing casualties. Last week, a bear attack in Fukushima injured at least four people.