Japanese city suspends 94 schools after first-ever bear sighting

TOKYO, June 08 (Reuters): The Japanese city of Utsunomiya has suspended all 94 of the primary and middle schools that it operates on Monday after its first-ever bear sighting, a municipal official said.

The city of half-a-million residents about 100 km (60 miles) north of Tokyo said the bear was first seen in a residential area near a park on Saturday evening. It remains at large after the last sighting early Monday morning about half a kilometre from a middle school.

Bear attacks, including in urban areas, have been on the rise in Japan, prompting the government to set up a task force this year to reduce casualties.

Last week, a bear attack in the northeastern city of Fukushima left at least four people injured. Security footage from Fukushima Steel Works shows a black bear chasing a worker by the entrance of the factory and throwing him to the ground.