A town in Japan closed all 94 schools after a black bear was spotted near a park.

The authorities in Utsunomiya, a Japanese city with a population of approximately 500,000 residents, have decided to close all 94 primary and junior high schools after a medium-sized black bear was spotted in the area. The incident occurred on Saturday when the bear, estimated to be about one meter long, was seen near a park.

Subsequently, the animal was captured on surveillance cameras running in front of some young people, and on Monday morning it was spotted again in an industrial area about 2 km from the city center. Local authorities have issued safety recommendations for residents, urging them to lock their doors and windows and to avoid any contact with the bear. Japan is facing an increase in bear attacks, with estimates suggesting that between 12,000 and 42,000 Asian black bears live on the island of Honshu, and about 12,000 brown bears on the island of Hokkaido.