As bear attacks rise in Japan, fearful residents change daily routines
Jeff Kingston used to take long walks with his dogs across the hills of Gunma in central Japan. But not this year. He has good reason. Kingston said he has encountered bears in those mountains more than 100 times over the years and been charged by aggressive bears around a dozen times. In 2014, a black bear knocked him down and attacked him across the skull with its claws, leaving a gash that…
Bear encounters have increased significantly in Japan, leading to a heightened sense of fear among residents. The Environment Ministry is now conducting a comprehensive survey to gain a better understanding of the bear population in the country. Using camera traps and hair traps, researchers aim to identify individual bears and estimate their numbers with greater accuracy.
Despite the rise in bear sightings and attacks, the Environment Ministry remains hopeful that the population will not decrease dramatically due to culling. The increase in bear encounters is attributed to the animals' need to gather food before entering hibernation, and some areas are more at risk due to poor crop yields. Residents have adjusted their daily routines to minimize the risk of encountering bears, such as cutting down fruit trees and keeping a barrier between themselves and the animals.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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