Watch mother bear attacks car on Hokkaido road in Japan
Watch mother bear attacks footage shared by Hokkaido police: a mother brown bear charged a car after the driver stopped for the bear and her cub on a road in Bifuka, Japan. The sow jumped onto the hood, bit and clawed the vehicle, then repeatedly rammed it before fleeing with her cub, leaving dents, scratches and a hole.
Key Takeaways
- Hokkaido police released dashcam video of a mother brown bear attacking a car in Bifuka.
- The driver had stopped so a large brown bear and its cub could cross the road.
- After briefly fleeing, the mother jumped onto the hood, biting and clawing, then rammed the front of the car.
- Police reported dents, scratch marks and a hole in the hood; the area is near known brown bear habitat.
- Authorities urged drivers to use caution when passing through the area.
Police in Japan's Hokkaido prefecture shared dashboard camera video captured by a driver whose car was attacked by a mother bear on a road. The moment fits the unpredictable wildlife encounters that often surface in Bizarre News & Florida Man.
As UPI reported, Hokkaido Police said the vehicle was traveling in the town of Bifuka on Tuesday when the driver stopped for a large brown bear and its cub crossing the road.
What happened when the mother bear attacked the car?
The video shows both bears initially flee from the vehicle. That pause did not last.
The mother bear then charges the car as it stops and jumps onto the hood, biting and clawing. She backs away and repeatedly rams into the front of the car before fleeing with the cub.
The entire exchange unfolds on an ordinary town road, with the dashcam recording each move from the driver's point of view.
Why did the mother bear charge the vehicle?
Police materials summarized by UPI do not state a formal cause beyond the sequence on camera. What is clear is the timing: the driver had stopped for the pair, both bears first moved away, and the mother then turned back toward the car.
She jumped onto the hood and continued biting, clawing and ramming before leaving with the cub. Authorities also noted that the Bifuka area is located near a known brown bear habitat.
That setting helps explain why drivers may suddenly meet a sow and cub on the pavement—and why the encounter can escalate quickly once a vehicle is stopped nearby.
What damage did the bear leave on the car?
Police said the bruin's attack left dents, scratch marks and a hole in the vehicle's hood. Those marks align with the biting and clawing on the hood and the repeated ramming at the front of the car.
UPI's report focuses on damage to the vehicle. It does not describe injuries to the driver.
What are drivers being told to do in the area?
Authorities urged drivers to use caution when passing through the area near Bifuka. The guidance follows directly from the dashcam release and the habitat warning.
The footage shows how a stop for wildlife can still turn into a close-range attack within seconds. Staying alert on roads near known brown bear habitat is the practical message from Hokkaido police.
More odd wildlife and roadside stories are collected in our Bizarre News & Florida Man category. For the original account of this Hokkaido dashcam, see UPI's Odd News report.