Overview

• Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto said the city is considering active individual management, including culling, to reduce high‑risk bears and will seek expert guidance before setting specifics.
• City hall, police and hunting associations held an emergency meeting on Oct. 2, describing a crisis‑level situation and agreeing to strengthen coordination.
• Sapporo logged 71 sighting reports in September, the most in a decade, with many in residential areas and some schools closing as daytime encounters were reported.
• A man was injured last week after encountering what appeared to be a sow with cubs during a nighttime walk in a park in Nishi Ward.
• Authorities will add more trail cameras in concern areas and remove attractants such as nuts and fruit trees, and a city camera recorded a mother bear with cubs on Oct. 1 in Minami Ward.