Bear that caused panic and school closures captured in Japan

A wandering bear that scared residents of a Japanese city just north of Tokyo was captured on Tuesday after several days of panic during which nearly 100 schools were closed. The bear was first spotted on Saturday near a park in Utsunomiya, a city north of Tokyo with a population of half a million. City officials said they received dozens of reports of bear sightings in the following days, including near a library, schools and a community center. The bear sightings had forced the closure of all 94 public primary and middle schools in the city on Monday and Tuesday. The city issued bear warnings via social media and dispatched a public announcement vehicle, urging residents to take shelter inside buildings and vehicles if they encounter a bear, and to make sure to lock doors and windows and not to put out garbage at night. On Tuesday afternoon, the bear was found on a private property and shot by a veterinarian with a tranquilizer gun, city official Ryuhei Irie said. Nobody was injured. City officials used a drone Tuesday to track the animal down after it was spotted earlier in the day at a university campus, causing cancellations of all classes. Officials believe there was only one bear but that they are investigating to be safe, Irie said. Police are seen at a residential area where a bear showed up in Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, June 9, 2026. …