News Black Bear Koriyama 並木五丁目, Fukushima Apr 6, 2026, 12:00 PM

Description

On the night of April 6, 2026, a single bear about 1.5 m long was sighted near Oshima Shizen Fureai Hiroba in Tomita, Kōriyama. The animal stayed in riverside thickets along the Ouse River; the city, police and hunting association used drones, fireworks, water cannon and box traps to try to drive and capture it but failed. The bear moved north on April 8 and sheltered in vegetation near the Banetsu Expressway embankment, where the city carried out an emergency shooting and the bear was killed in the afternoon (around 15:40–15:45). No human injuries were reported.

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

Summary

A roughly 1.5 m bear was first seen near a park in Tomita, Kōriyama on the night of April 6, prompting intense local vigilance. The animal remained in riverside thickets despite efforts using fireworks, water cannon and box traps, then moved north on April 8 to vegetation beside the Banetsu Expressway. Because it posed a risk of returning to residential areas, the city carried out an emergency shooting that afternoon and the bear was killed. Schools adjusted their arrival procedures and traffic restrictions were imposed; no injuries were reported.

Bear Type

Black Bear

Number of Bears

1

Provider Type

News

Date & Time

Monday, April 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Address

Coordinates

37.415943, 140.355200

Sources