Hokkaido Sets Brown Bear Alert Periods in April, May

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:19 JST, March 28, 2026

SAPPORO — The Hokkaido prefectural government has designated April and May as brown bear alert periods, as the spring foraging season draws more people to the mountains and fields.

Seventy people were injured or killed by brown bears in Hokkaido between 1989 and February this year, excluding hunting or culling accidents.

Among them, 22 were attacked in April and May, when bears begin to become more active after emerging from hibernation. Of all those attacked, 47% were attacked while entering the mountains to forage in spring or autumn.

The Kushiro General Subprefectural Bureau plans to conduct awareness activities, such as distributing leaflets at convenience stores, as part of its efforts to reduce the risk of bear attacks.

Of the nine people attacked by brown bears over the past 10 years in Hokkaido during April and May, three were reported within the jurisdiction of the Kushiro bureau. A man was injured while picking wild plants in Shibecha in 2017, a man was killed while foraging in Akkeshi in 2021 and a woman was injured while walking in Akkeshi.

In April 2024, a brown bear hit a light truck on a forest road in Nemuro. It is believed that the truck came between the bear and their cub. After the hit, the bear chased the fleeing vehicle for some time.