Bear slams into car in Japan after blocking road with cub

Dashcam captures bear slamming into car after blocking road in northern Japan

Last updated: October 02, 2026 | 12:01

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

1 MIN READ

A brown bear climbs onto a car bonnet on a road in northern Japan after the vehicle encounters two bears, believed to be a mother and cub.

Dashcam footage captures the dramatic moment a brown bear slammed its body against a car in northern Japan after two bears were spotted on the road.

Police in Hokkaido Prefecture released footage showing the encounter, which happened on Tuesday. Two bears, believed to be a mother and her cub, were spotted near the vehicle, forcing the driver to stop.

The larger bear then approached the car and rammed its body against the bonnet before quickly running away. The footage shows the bear making forceful contact with the vehicle as the passenger remained inside.

According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, one person was travelling in the car at the time. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Authorities have urged residents and motorists in areas where bears have been sighted to remain cautious and avoid approaching the animals.

Video: AFP

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Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 27 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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