News Black Bear Hara, Nagano May 4, 2026, 01:20 AM

Description

At around 10:20 on May 4, 2026, a single adult bear (about 1.1 m long, approximately 45 kg) was sighted on the grounds of a restaurant/residence and nearby house in Shinmida, Hara Village, Suwa District, Nagano Prefecture. Police, hunting association members and village staff responded and the bear was sedated with a tranquilizer gun and captured at about 13:40; it was subsequently euthanized. No injuries or damage to buildings were reported.

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

Summary

Near the Suwa-Minami interchange in Hara Village (Shinmida), a bear appeared on the grounds of a restaurant/residence and nearby houses. Police and hunting association members sedated and captured the animal with a tranquilizer gun; it was later euthanized due to concerns about habitual visits to populated areas. There were no injuries. The village noted a prior sighting on April 30 and urged residents to be cautious.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Monday, May 4, 2026 at 01:20 AM

Address

Coordinates

35.956038, 138.236283

Sources