Japanese officials and school authorities are conducting anti-bear safety drills in schools using costumes, drones, and robot scare-crows.
These measures follow a record year of bear attacks in 2025, prompting a national effort to teach students and the public how to avoid dangerous encounters. The increase in wildlife activity has forced local governments to implement aggressive prevention strategies to protect children.
In Utsunomiya City, located in Tochigi Prefecture, the drills featured a person dressed in a bear costume to simulate a real-life encounter. The scale of the threat in the region was highlighted by the fact that nearly 100 schools were closed in Utsunomiya City due to bear activity [1].
Beyond simulations, authorities are deploying technology to deter animals. This includes the use of drones and "Monster Wolf" robot scare-crows designed to frighten bears away from populated areas [2], [3], [4]. These robots are part of a broader push to integrate technology into wildlife management.
Other regions are facing similar pressures. In Fukushima Prefecture, a recent incident saw four people attacked by a bear in eastern Japan [5]. These events have led to the inclusion of professional hunters in school drills to ensure students understand the severity of the risk.
Local education boards and prefectural governments are coordinating these efforts across the country. The drills emphasize immediate reaction protocols, such as identifying safe zones, and understanding the behavior of bears during a confrontation. By simulating these high-stress environments, officials aim to reduce casualties in future encounters.
“Nearly 100 schools were closed in Utsunomiya City due to bear activity”
The deployment of robotic deterrents and simulated attacks indicates that traditional wildlife management is no longer sufficient to address the record-breaking surge in bear encounters. By shifting safety training into the school system, Japan is treating wildlife encroachment as a systemic public safety crisis rather than isolated incidents of nature.
