News Black Bear Obatake district, Naka Town (Tokushima), Tokushima Nov 22, 2025

Description

Between November 22 and 26, 2025, a GPS-collared Asian black bear entered the Obatake district settlement in Naka Town, Tokushima. Experts found scratches on the bark of three persimmon trees at an empty house, chewed persimmons and droppings, and the bear was estimated to be an adult female measuring 122 cm and weighing 53 kg.

Note: Official sources provide information in Japanese only. This description has been machine translated for your convenience.

Summary

A moon bear was confirmed to have entered the Obatake district settlement in Naka Town, Tokushima between November 22 and 26. After GPS collar data from the Ministry of the Environment was reviewed, local authorities and experts inspected the site on December 1 and found damage to persimmon trees and droppings at an empty house. This is the first confirmed appearance of the species in a settlement with houses in the prefecture, and experts urge removal of unattended fruit trees to deter bears.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Saturday, November 22, 2025

Address

Coordinates

33.870280, 134.233684

Sources