A woman driving home from work in Hokkaido, Japan, escaped without injury after a bear charged her car and bit into the bonnet in a terrifying encounter captured on dashcam footage.
The incident occurred at around 7.30pm on Tuesday (29 Sep) as the woman, aged in her 30s, was travelling along Route 49 through the mountainous Niupu area of Bifuka. Two bears suddenly emerged from the darkness and crossed directly in front of her vehicle.
Bear charges and attacks vehicle
The driver slammed to a halt, but the larger animal, believed to be the mother bear, suddenly turned and charged. It launched itself at the front of the car before repeatedly battering the bonnet with its powerful paws. The bear briefly backed away before attacking again, this time appearing to bite into the vehicle.
Terrified inside, the woman desperately locked her doors and waited for the animal to leave. She said: "I stopped because I thought I was going to hit them, and then it attacked. I locked the doors and prayed it wouldn't get inside and waited for it to go away."
Woman describes fear during attack
The woman said she could feel the car shaking and hear the animal growling outside. She added: "I was scared. I never thought it would come towards me, so I was really surprised. It would have been terrifying if it had broken the glass."
Police said the two animals appeared to be a parent and cub. The larger bear was estimated to be around 1.5m long, while local reports put the cub at approximately one metre. The woman had stopped after spotting the pair emerge from woodland and run across the road, but instead of continuing into the forest, the suspected mother turned towards her.
Damage and police response
Footage released by police shows the animal rising up in front of the vehicle before repeatedly attacking it. The force of the assault left the bonnet dented and covered in deep claw marks, with some of the bear's claws punching holes straight through the metal.
Despite the damage, the car remained driveable and the woman escaped without injury before making her way to a police station. The two bears eventually disappeared back towards the forest. Police have stepped up patrols around the area following the frightening encounter.
Authorities said the road is in a mountainous area around 10km from central Bifuka where bear sightings are frequently reported. The latest local figures show police have received 55 reports relating to brown bears across Hokkaido in the space of just one week. Drivers have been urged to remain vigilant, particularly when travelling through rural areas at night.
