New Term Begins Under Bear Alert

Aug 27, 2025 | News On Japan

HOKKAIDO, Aug 27, 2025 (News On Japan) - Many elementary and junior high schools across Hokkaido began their second term on August 25, with campuses in bear-prone areas opening the term under heightened precautions.

In Esashi, the board of education asked parents and guardians of elementary and junior high school students to provide rides to and from school to reduce the risk of encounters. The town has reported more than 20 cases in August alone of watermelons and other produce in home gardens being ravaged, and bears were also spotted at two locations from the night of August 24 into the morning of August 25. “Bears are frightening. We want them culled quickly,” a resident said, while another noted that they place food waste in a cooler and set it out on the morning of collection to avoid attracting wildlife.

At Shosanbetsu Junior High School, which held its opening ceremony on August 20, a bear was seen walking through the courtyard that same day. On August 23, a bear was spotted on the grounds of a nearby shrine and then moved onto the school grounds; a hunter fired, and the round struck near the animal’s hindquarters before it fled toward the mountains.

On August 25, the village installed about 250 meters of electric fencing between the junior high school and the forest behind it. The school continues to ask parents to handle drop-offs and pick-ups during commuting hours.

Source: HBCニュース　北海道放送

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