A minimum of 12 individuals have been killed and greater than 100 injured in bear assaults throughout Japan since April.
Printed On 6 Nov 2025
Japan has deployed troops to assist counter a surge of bear assaults which have terrified residents in a mountainous area within the northern prefecture of Akita.
Within the final seven months, a minimum of 12 individuals have been killed and greater than 100 injured in bear assaults throughout Japan, in accordance with Ministry of the Atmosphere statistics on the finish of October.
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The navy transfer on Wednesday comes as these experiences of generally lethal encounters with brown bears and Asiatic black bears are being documented nearly each day earlier than hibernation season, because the bears forage for meals. They’ve been seen close to faculties, prepare stations, supermarkets and at a scorching springs resort.
The rising bear inhabitants’s encroachment into residential areas is occurring in a area with a quickly ageing and declining human inhabitants, with few individuals educated to hunt the animals. The federal government has estimated the general bear inhabitants at greater than 54,000.
Troopers, nevertheless, won’t open fireplace on the bears after the Ministry of Protection and Akita prefecture signed an settlement Wednesday that troops will set field traps with meals, transport native hunters and assist get rid of lifeless bears.
“Day-after-day, bears intrude into residential areas within the area and their impression is increasing,” Deputy Chief Cupboard Secretary Fumitoshi Sato informed reporters. “Responses to the bear drawback are an pressing matter.”
The operation started in a forested space in Kazuno metropolis, the place quite a lot of bear sightings and accidents have been reported. White-helmeted troopers carrying bulletproof vests and carrying bear spray and web launchers arrange a bear entice close to an orchard.
Takahiro Ikeda, an orchard operator, mentioned bears have eaten greater than 200 of his apples that have been prepared for harvest. “My coronary heart is damaged,” he informed NHK tv.
Protection Minister Shinjiro Koizumi mentioned Tuesday the bear mission goals to assist safe individuals’s each day lives, however that service members’ major mission is nationwide defence and so they can’t present limitless assist for the bear response.
In Akita prefecture, which has a inhabitants of about 880,000, bears have attacked greater than 50 individuals since Could, killing a minimum of 4, in accordance with the native authorities, with most assaults occurring in residential areas.
An older girl who went mushroom searching within the forest was discovered lifeless in an obvious assault over the weekend in Yuzawa metropolis. One other older girl in Akita metropolis was killed after encountering a bear whereas engaged on a farm in late October. A newspaper deliveryman was attacked and injured in Akita metropolis on Tuesday.
Specialists say Japan’s ageing and declining inhabitants in rural areas is one motive for the rising drawback. They are saying the bears are usually not endangered and want culling to maintain the inhabitants underneath management.
