A dayslong bear hunt in the capital of Tochigi Prefecture ended Tuesday after the animal was shot with a tranquilizer gun and captured, easing residents¡¯ fears.

The city of Utsunomiya had been on high alert following reports of a bear?near schools and residential areas since the weekend.

The latest bear sighting in the city added to a growing number of cases being reported throughout Japan, as affected areas worked to calm residents.

On Tuesday morning, Utsunomiya University canceled all of its classes after a bear was spotted roaming the campus. Since Monday, all 94 public elementary and middle schools in the city have been closed for safety reasons. Several high schools canceled classes as well.

The bear was first seen near the city center on Sunday morning. It was spotted roaming the streets of residential neighborhoods and entering shopping arcades and school grounds.

Residents had been on high alert as members of a hunting association and city authorities hunted down the bear. According to media reports, three tranquilizer darts were fired toward the bear in a residential area on Tuesday afternoon, one of which hit its mark and led to the animal¡¯s capture.

Reports of bear sightings in urban areas?¡ª far from the mountains where they usually live ¡ª have increased significantly in recent months.

As of last Wednesday, there have been four confirmed deaths attributed to bears ¡ª two in Iwate Prefecture and one each in the prefectures of Yamagata and Akita.

The first fatal bear attack occurred in April in the town of Shiwa in Iwate Prefecture, around the time the animal emerges from hibernation. It was the first time in five years that such an attack was reported as early as the month of April.

Last Tuesday, four people were attacked by a bear and sustained injuries in the city of Fukushima in Fukushima Prefecture. Though attempts are being made to capture the bear, which has been described as being ¡°extremely intelligent,¡± it remains at large. The city is continuing its search for the bear via police patrol cars and drones.

There have been 12 instances across Japan so far this year in which guns were fired in residential areas with the permission of local governments under an emergency culling system introduced last year.

The number of bear-related deaths in Japan hit a record high of 13?last year. Bear sightings also set a new record.

The high number of bear encounters has also given rise to a market for tools and gadgets designed to repel or deter bears, ranging from traditional bells to specialized poles, sprays and electronic devices.