The operation, which lasted several days, ended with the location and sedation of the animal. Images released by local media showed members of the local hunters' association transporting the bear to a truck while police officers supervised the intervention.
The presence of the animal led the Utsunomiya City Council to take exceptional measures to ensure the safety of the population. Among them, the closure of the city's 94 primary and secondary schools for two consecutive days, a decision made after multiple sightings were reported since last Saturday.
At the moment, authorities have not confirmed if all the reports received corresponded to the same individual bear or if there could be more bears in the vicinity.
In addition to the closure of educational institutions, the local administration recommended that residents avoid going out at night and keep doors and windows closed as a preventive measure. The incident has reignited the debate about the increasing encounters between bears and humans in different regions of Japan.