A man dressed in a bear costume entered a school in Japan during a bizarre simulation drill in which elderly hunters were tasked to “shoot and kill” him.

The exercise took place in Yaita in Tochigi Prefecture, where a man in a bear costume and a bear mask attempted to simulate a bear intrusion as he appeared on all four, ready to attack. He later played dead after being “hunted down” successfully by a bear hunter.

The drill came amid a spree of bear attacks in the country, with Utsunomiya City closing nearly 100 schools due to bear sightings earlier this month.

The man in the bear costume “attacked” a person during the exercise, leaving him with a pretend torso injury, reported the Sun.

Hunters pretended to open fire and tranquillise the “bear”. They threw smoke bombs and burst firecrackers in a bid to startle the make-believe animal so it retreats back into the wild.

The students were also given bottles of spray for emergency use during the drill.

Japan has recently been battling deadly bear attacks, prompting officials to send military troops to tackle the animals in hard-hit areas. Last year the army was dispatched to the northern prefecture of Akita where more than 60 people were attacked by bears, with four killed.

International governments have also issued travel advisories informing the tourists about the menace.

Utsunomiya city closed at least 100 schools after a bear was sighted. The schools were reopened after the police officers and members of a local hunting association successfully captured the animal, tranquillising it with a dart gun and transporting it away.

The locals have also been urged to lock their doors and windows to prevent the animal from entering their homes. Residents have been advised to avoid putting their trash out at night.

The surge in bear attacks has been fuelled by a skyrocketing bear population, a decline in hunting, and climate change causing poor harvest, forcing the animal to seek food outside the ecosystem.

According to Japanese Environment Ministry, the bear sightings between April last year and March this year has reached a record of 50,776 cases, with at least 13 fatalities recorded.

On 2 June, at least four people were injured in the Sasakino district of Fukushima in northern Japan.

The Japanese government in March estimated the overall bear population at around 57,800. Officials have adopted a road map of bear population management, calling for systematic culling. Under the plan, the number of municipal bear control staff will triple to 2,500 within five years, while the number of bear traps will double.

The government has stepped up a public awareness campaign, urging hikers and mushroom hunters to check notifications about bear sightings and avoid outdoor activity in the early morning and evening when bears are active.

An environment ministry manual advises that anyone encountering a bear should not panic, move slowly and avoid turning around and running. As a last resort, the manual says anyone attacked should turn face down, ball up and cover their neck.

“The point is to save yourself from a fatal wound,” according to the manual.