"Striking Hard"...100kg Brown Bear Charges Car, Punches Holes in Hood...What Happened While Driving

Two Brown Bears Appear on Hokkaido Road
Mother Bear Repeatedly Attacks Vehicle
55 Bear-Related Reports Filed in Past Week

In Hokkaido, Japan, a mother brown bear with her cub repeatedly attacked a vehicle that had stopped on the road.

A brown bear is attacking a vehicle on a road in Bifuka Town, Hokkaido, Japan. Photo by TV Asahi

According to TV Asahi on October 1, two brown bears appeared on a road in Bifuka Town, Hokkaido, at around 7:30 p.m. on September 29.

In the released video, a large brown bear stood up on its hind legs upon spotting the vehicle and then leaped toward the hood. The bear repeatedly struck the vehicle forcefully with its long, sharp claws, and after briefly moving away, again charged and bit into the car body.

Takayoshi Yamauchi, an associate professor at Iwate University in Japan, explained that the bear appeared to be a mother bear approximately 1.5 meters in length and weighing about 100 kilograms. Associate Professor Yamauchi stated, "Mother bears, in particular, are extremely cautious," and added, "When they need to protect their cubs, they can become agitated and attack." He also commented, "The fact that the bear tried to bite the vehicle from the front is clear evidence of attack behavior."

The woman who was driving the vehicle recounted that she had stopped the car out of fear of a collision and was then attacked. She said, "I stopped the car because I thought there would be a crash, but the bear rushed at me," and added, "I locked the doors and hoped the bear wouldn't get inside while waiting for it to leave."

Multiple scratch marks were left on the car's hood as a result of the bear's attack. In some places, the claws even punctured the vehicle. Fortunately, the driver was not injured.

The woman said, "The car was shaking and the bear was growling, so I was scared," and continued, "I never imagined it would actually run toward the car, so I was very surprised." She added, "If the windows had shattered, it would have been truly terrifying."

According to local police, there have been 55 reports related to brown bears in this area over the past week.

Experts advise that if you encounter a bear while driving, it is best to stop the vehicle and assess the situation rather than making sudden movements. Associate Professor Yamauchi noted, "If you rev the engine loudly or suddenly move the car, there is a chance the bear could become agitated. It is best to stop and watch the bear's movements first."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.