Utsunomiya bear capture operation suspended as drones fail to locate animal
Following a series of sightings in the city centre, a planned capture attempt was aborted on June 8, with search operations resuming the following morning.
Authorities in Utsunomi City, Tochigi Prefecture, have suspended a planned operation to capture a bear after drone surveillance failed to locate the animal in a wooded area. The decision was made on the evening of June 8, following a series of bear sightings in the city centre that had prompted the initial capture attempt.
According to reports from NHK News Japan, a single bear entered the wooded area within Utsunomi City on the evening of June 8. Officials had begun preparations to capture the animal, utilising drones to assist in pinpointing its location. However, the operation was halted when the drones could not be flown, leaving authorities unable to confirm the bear's precise position.
The inability to deploy the drones effectively prevented officials from tracking the animal, leading to the suspension of the capture effort. While the source material indicates that the failure was due to the drones being unable to fly, it does not specify whether this was caused by weather conditions, equipment issues, or the bear's concealment within the terrain.
Search operations for the bear resumed on the morning of June 9. As of the resumption of efforts, the exact location of the animal within the wooded area remains unknown. The incident is part of broader wildlife management concerns in Tochigi Prefecture, where multiple sightings have recently been reported.
Local authorities continue to monitor the situation as search teams work to locate the bear. The number of bears involved is reported as one, based on the single confirmed entry into the wooded area on June 8. Further updates on the status of the search are expected as operations continue.
