A driver in northern Japan got an unplanned, up-close look at a brown bear's protective instincts this month, after dashboard camera footage showed a mother bear charging a stopped car, climbing onto its hood and clawing at the metal before fleeing with her cub.
The encounter happened Oct. 2 on a road in the town of Bifuka, in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, an area that sits near known brown bear habitat. According to UPI, the driver had stopped to let the bear and her cub cross the road. Both animals initially moved away from the vehicle, but the mother then turned, charged back and jumped onto the hood, biting and clawing at it before ramming the front of the car and finally retreating into the brush with her cub.
Hokkaido police, who released the dashcam video, said the encounter left dents, scratch marks and a hole in the vehicle's hood. The driver was not injured. Footage of the charge was picked up by NHK World and Euronews, both of which noted that authorities are urging drivers in the area to keep a greater distance from bears, particularly mothers traveling with cubs, which are far more likely to act defensively than bears on their own.
Hokkaido's brown bears are most active in the autumn as they forage ahead of winter denning, and sightings near roads and residential areas tend to rise through September and October as the animals range more widely in search of food. Wildlife officials there have repeatedly advised drivers not to stop for extended periods near bears, even when the animals initially appear to be moving away, since a mother with a cub nearby can perceive a stationary vehicle as a threat.
No further incidents were reported in the area in the days after the encounter, and police said they were continuing to monitor bear activity along the route.