81 cases of emergency bear shooting reported in 1st year
Nearly 70% of all emergency shooting cases took place between October and December, when bears were actively searching for food before hibernation.
In the first year of its introduction in September 2025, Japan's emergency bear shooting system was utilized in 81 cases across 14 of the nation's 47 prefectures, reported Jiji Press. The primary usage was observed in the Tohoku (northeastern) and Hokuriku (central) regions. This system enables the shooting of bears or wild boars within residential or other inhabited areas, as determined by municipal governments.
Despite its implementation, challenges persist. Securing safety in certain instances and some local governments lacking expertise have been hurdles. On October last year, Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture in Tohoku, became the first municipality to employ the emergency culling system for a bear. Prior to the system's introduction, shooting bears or wild boars at night or in densely populated residential areas was strictly prohibited.
Written by urgent.news from Nippon.com News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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