A Japanese governor yesterday called for help from the military to deal with a spate of “truly dire” deadly bear attacks, which have risen to record levels this year in Japan.
Bears have killed 10 people this year, a government official said, surpassing the previous high of six in the fiscal year that ended in March last year.
The animals have been increasingly encroaching on towns due to factors including a declining human population and climate change.
Photo: AFP / Gunma Prefectural Police via Jiji Press
Akita Prefecture Governor Kenta Suzuki told the Japanese minister of defense that “the lives of our citizens cannot be protected without the help of the Self-Defense Forces.”
“Attacks targeting the neck and face are extremely common, resulting in a truly dire situation,” he said.
Suzuki said bears now appear not only in the mountains, but also in urban areas.
It was “abnormal” for the daily lives of all residents to be so disrupted, he added.
Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said in response that the government would “make the utmost use of the capabilities and authority” to restore safety.
A Japanese ministry of the environment official who monitors bear attacks yesterday confirmed that the number of people killed “has reached 10.”
The latest victim was attacked along with three other people in a mountain village in Akita Prefecture last week, the official said.
The figure does not yet include more recent fatalities seemingly linked to other attacks, they said.
A woman was found dead on Monday near rice fields in Akita Prefecture, while a man and his dog were found deceased in the neighboring Iwate region, local media reported.
Both showed signs of having been attacked.
Bears have attacked tourists, entered stores, and appeared near schools and parks, particularly in northern regions.
Hungry because of a shortage of food such as acorns — which has been blamed on the influence of climate change — the animals are venturing more into towns where the human population is aging and dwindling.
Experts say that warmer weather is also affecting the hibernation patterns of the animals, which in the case of brown bears can weigh half a tonne and outrun a human.
Japan has two types of bear: Asian black bears — also known as moon bears — and the bigger brown bears that live on the main northern island of Hokkaido.
Many bears are shot every year, although Japan’s aging human population means that the number of hunters is declining.
Japanese Minister of the Environment Hirotaka Ishihara last week called bear attacks “a big problem, a serious problem.”
“We are committed to further strengthening various measures including securing and training government hunters, and managing the bear population,” he told a news conference.
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