Location
Description
On the morning of May 20, 2026, a single bear about 1 meter long was found in the Sano River flowing between Yawata and Inariyama in Chikuma City; a member of the hunters' association used a tranquilizer gun to capture and euthanize it around 7:30 AM. Sightings had been reported repeatedly in the city since May 19.
Note: Official sources provide information in Japanese only. This description has been machine translated for your convenience.
Summary
In Chikuma City, Nagano Prefecture, repeated bear sightings since the 19th culminated on the morning of the 20th when a roughly 1-meter bear was found in the Sano River between Yawata and Inariyama. A hunters' association member used a tranquilizer gun around 7:30 AM to capture and put the bear down. Sightings had also been reported near Habu Junior High School and a convenience store by Mutsumibetsu Shrine.
Bear Type
Black Bear
Number of Bears
1
Provider Type
News
Date & Time
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Address
Chikuma Yawata, Nagano
Coordinates
36.517390, 138.102566
Related Areas
Comments (0)
No comments yet.
Hiking in bear country
Safety picks and trail essentials, top-rated on Amazon and Rakuten.
