Giant Wild Bear Spotted in Hokkaido, Japan
Residents Gripped by Fear as Bear Sightings Surge
Across Japan, there has been a surge in casualties caused by bear attacks. As the Japanese government mobilizes both the police and the Self-Defense Forces for a "bear control operation," anxiety among residents has peaked in the Hokkaido region after a bear was seen charging toward a moving vehicle.
On November 7 (local time), the owner of a ranch in Urakawa, about 170 kilometers from Sapporo, Hokkaido, posted on X (formerly Twitter), "At around 7:30 p.m. yesterday, an employee heading to the ranch encountered a bear on a bridge," and released a video of the incident.
"Relentlessly chased even after jumping onto the hood"
The seven-second video, apparently filmed by the driver from inside the car with a mobile phone, shows a massive brown bear charging at the vehicle at frightening speed on a rainy night road. The driver attempted to reverse to avoid a collision, but the bear jumped onto the hood and continued to pursue the car relentlessly.
The ranch owner stated, "Nothing more happened beyond what is shown in the video, and it ended safely, but I urge those living nearby or passing through to be cautious." In the accompanying photo, the car's hood is shown with clear dents and scratches left by the bear.
Local online users who saw this commented, "It's five times bigger than I imagined," "What if you encountered it outside the car? Just thinking about it is terrifying," "It charges as soon as it sees you. It's too dangerous," "I'm too scared to even go outside," and "I'm relieved the employee is safe."
13 deaths this year alone... Japanese government deploys police and Self-Defense Forces
According to the Ministry of the Environment, a record 13 people have died from bear attacks in Japan since April this year. The number of bear sightings from April to September this year has been provisionally counted at 20,792. The number of sightings in the past six months has already surpassed the total for the entire previous year from April onward.
On November 6, local governments in Hokkaido and northeastern Honshu held a meeting and decided to request central government funding support for bear damage countermeasures. The Self-Defense Forces also deployed personnel to Akita Prefecture at the request of local authorities, and the National Police Agency revised National Public Safety Commission rules to allow police to use rifles to drive off bears appearing near villages. The National Police Agency has decided to dispatch additional officers to Akita and Iwate prefectures, where multiple bear attacks have occurred. These officers will form teams with local police and, starting November 13, will use rifles to conduct bear control operations in the affected areas.
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