Bear Found in Bushes in Central Sendai Finally Culled

Apr 19, 2026 | News On Japan

SENDAI, Apr 19, 2026 (News On Japan) - A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

At around 5:20 a.m. on April 19, the bear was spotted in the city center of Sendai’s Aoba Ward district. It later stayed in bushes behind an apartment building.

City officials installed a box trap to capture the animal, but due to concerns it could escape further into the urban area, authorities authorized an emergency shooting shortly after 6:20 p.m. Contractors then fired two tranquilizer darts at the bear.

Both darts hit, and the bear was captured before being put down at around 7:30 p.m.

No one was injured.

The bear was an adult male measuring about 1.5 meters in length and weighing 125 kilograms.

Source: TBS

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