Police in Hokkaido, northern Japan, have released dramatic surveillance footage showing a brown bear attacking a passenger car.

The incident happened at around 7:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, September 29, in the city of Bifuka.

The 30-year-old driver was traveling through a forested area when she spotted a mother bear with her cub on the road – what followed was a violent defensive attack that left deep marks on the vehicle.

Bear Jumps Onto the Hood
According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, the two bears initially began moving away from the car, but everything changed when the driver stopped the vehicle.

The large brown bear, standing approximately 1.5 meters tall and weighing around 100 kilograms, suddenly rose onto its hind legs, turned around and charged toward the front of the car.

Driven by a defensive instinct, the bear repeatedly jumped onto the hood, slammed its body against the vehicle and scratched and bit the metal with its long, sharp claws before retreating into the forest with its cub.

Driver Uninjured, Hood Left With a Hole
The driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was left badly shaken by the attack but fortunately escaped without injury. She had been on a phone call with her partner while driving when the incident occurred.

The car was not so lucky – a police inspection found deep scratches and claw marks, visible dents caused by the bear’s weight and a hole in the hood where the animal broke through the metal during the attack.