Mama Bear attacks driver head-on and smashes truck windshield

A mother brown bear left two men driving on a forest road in Japan terrified after a sudden attack.

According to the Japanese newspaper The Mainichi ShimbunThe attack occurred around 1pm on Sunday, April 28, on a street in Hokkaido Prefecture as the men attempted to pick Allium ochotense, a wild onion species.

The men reported seeing what was believed to be a female brown bear and her cub on both sides of the road. In recently released dashcam footage, the men can be seen driving down the road as the bear jumps out of the woods and immediately runs toward their truck.

Within seconds, the bear reached the truck’s windshield and hit its windshield wipers. After a hit, you can see the windshield wiper dangling from the window.

As the vehicle tries to reverse, the bear takes a few steps back before charging at the vehicle again, breaking the windshield.

The video then shows a photo of the truck, which shows additional damage near the front bumper and rear door.

According to NHK Japan, the men were not injured.

Masami Yamanaka, a special researcher at the Shiretoko Nature Foundation, explained what might have caused the bear to attack The Mainichi Shimbun, “The car got between the parent and its young. Because the car approached before the mother bear and her cub could escape, the bear likely decided it had no choice but to attack.”

Police are urging residents to take precautions when heading to the mountains, NHK Japan reports.

“Prefectural officials say more than 12,000 brown bears were estimated to be living in Hokkaido by the end of 2022. The number has increased 2.3-fold over the last three decades,” the outlet explains.

According to CBS News, 2023 was a record year for bear attacks in Japan. Of the 193 reported bear attacks, six resulted in deaths, the most since 2006.

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The US National Park Service advises that one of the best tips to avoid being attacked by a bear after an encounter is to avoid sudden movements and maintain a safe distance.