News in Easy English: Bears may come near people in Gunma Pref. because of poor acorn crop

Gunma Prefecture, in Japan, reported that this year's acorn crop was poor. Acorns are a source of food for bears. The wildlife damage control support center in the prefecture asked people to be cautious from autumn onwards due to the poor acorn crop. Every year, from early to mid-September, the center examines acorns on around 630 survey trees located in the Tone-Numata region in the north of the prefecture.

This year, the nut crops for Japanese beech and giant dogwood were average, which was the third-highest level. However, Mongolian oak, jolcham oak, and chestnut had poor acorn crops, marking the fourth-highest level for all five tree species. The poor acorn harvest led to the possibility of bears venturing closer to humans. To address this issue, the prefecture created a bear sighting map and made it available online.

The map displays locations where people have reported sightings of bears. If a person encounters a bear, they should not run or shout, as this might provoke an attack. Instead, they should back away slowly while maintaining eye contact with the animal. If possible, they should place an object like a tree between themselves and the bear to create a barrier.

This advice comes after two people in Gunma Prefecture were injured by bears this year. In June, a man hiking in the Umeda area of Kiryu was attacked by a bear, resulting in injuries to his face and arm. In August, a man fishing in the Azuma district of Midori suffered head and left arm injuries from a bear encounter.