TOKYO: Japan is facing its deadliest year for bear attacks since records began in 2006, with officials planning emergency measures to control the growing threat. At least 12 people have been killed by bears since April — four times the total number recorded last year — while more than 100 have been injured, many suffering deep gashes and bites.
Several victims were elderly men in rural areas. Japanese local media reported one particularly gruesome case in which a man’s head was severed during an attack in Iwate Prefecture.
Government Response
The Japanese government says the sharp rise in encounters is due to bears increasingly entering residential areas in search of food. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara described the situation as “serious,” warning it threatens “the safety and security of the public.”
To contain the problem, Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara said the government will hire more licensed hunters and allow police to shoot bears that stray into populated areas. Officials are also discussing possible changes to firearms laws and coordination with local authorities.
Earlier this week, Akita Prefecture’s governor, Kenta Suzuki, asked Japan’s military to help cull bears, saying, “Exhaustion on the ground is reaching its limit.”
Causes and Rising Sightings
Experts say a combination of declining rural populations and expanding bear numbers has increased human-wildlife encounters. Bears, drawn to towns by food shortages such as poor acorn harvests, have been found entering homes and even supermarkets.
In mid-October, a 1.4-metre bear wandered into a store north of Tokyo, injuring two people before being subdued. Reports from Akita indicate around 8,000 bear sightings this year — six times last year’s total.
Bear Populations and Adaptation
Japan’s bear population has rebounded sharply after near-extinction in some regions during the 1980s. Today, an estimated 44,000 black bears roam much of the country, alongside as many as 12,000 larger brown bears on Hokkaido island.
Officials warn that some bears are becoming less fearful of humans and, in rare cases, may view people as prey. Rural towns have experimented with deterrents ranging from electric fences to robotic “monster wolves” that flash lights and emit loud noises to scare the animals away.
