What’s behind a surge in bear attacks in Japan?

A deadly struggle betwixt bears and humans is playing retired crossed Japan, wherever authorities person deployed the subject to support locals who are utilizing drone-based alert and surveillance systems to way the bears.

Since April this year, astatine slightest 13 radical person been killed and much than 100 person been injured successful carnivore attacks successful the country, according to an October study by the Ministry of Environment. The ministry added that the decease toll is the highest since Japan began keeping records of carnivore attacks successful 2006.

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Japan is location to large brownish bears, which tin measurement much than 450kg (1,000 pounds) and unrecorded successful the country’s Hokkaido region, 1 of Japan’s northernmost islands known for its blistery springs and volcanoes. It is besides location to Asiatic achromatic bears – besides known arsenic Moon bears – which are smaller successful size, weighing betwixt 80-200kg (176-440 pounds), and are recovered connected the mainland, which is much densely populated.

Both types of carnivore person been progressive successful incidents this year, and some are unsafe to humans to varying degrees. Asiatic carnivore attacks are much frequent, but brownish carnivore attacks are much dangerous.

Shota Mochizuki, subordinate prof astatine Fukushima University, told Al Jazeera: “This is mostly due to the fact that achromatic bears are wide distributed crossed Honshu and Shikoku, wherever galore radical live, portion brownish bears inhabit lone Hokkaido, resulting successful less opportunities for encounters with humans.”

“However, attacks by brownish bears are acold much severe. Brown bears are importantly larger and stronger, and their attacks overmuch much often pb to superior injuries oregon fatalities,” helium added.

But wherefore is determination an summation successful carnivore attacks this twelvemonth and however is Japan responding?

Here’s what we know:

Where are the attacks happening?

According to Japan’s nationalist broadcaster, NHK, the country’s bluish prefectures – districts nether the power of a prefect oregon politician – person been the worst affected by carnivore attacks.

Earlier this week, NHK said 5 radical had been killed successful Iwate, 2 successful Hokkaido, 1 each successful Nagano and Miyagi, and 4 successful Akita truthful acold this year.

Bear sightings successful Akita prefecture person risen sixfold this year, and bears person attacked much than 50 radical since May. Most of the attacks successful Akita person been by Asiatic achromatic bears and person taken spot successful residential areas.

According to NHK, connected November 9, a carnivore assaulted a 78-year-old pistillate successful Gojome Town and past attacked a 50-year-old pistillate who came to assistance erstwhile she heard the older pistillate screaming. Both were admitted to a infirmary successful Akita City and are inactive alive. An aged pistillate successful Akita metropolis was killed aft encountering a carnivore portion moving connected a workplace successful precocious October.

In an Instagram station past month, the Kenta Suzuki, the politician of the mountainous region, said that “the concern has already surpassed what the prefecture and municipalities tin grip connected their own”.

“Exhaustion connected the crushed is reaching its limit,” helium added.

In an interrogation past month, Billy Halloran, who is from Auckland, New Zealand, and presently lives successful Japan, told CNN astir a superior achromatic carnivore onslaught helium had experienced successful the woods of Myoko successful bluish Japan erstwhile helium went for a tally successful aboriginal October.

He said helium saw 2 bears staring astatine him from bushes adjacent and, erstwhile helium tried to backmost away, 1 carnivore started moving towards him. “It was astir my size, it was an adult, it was astatine slightest 60 oregon 70 kilos (about 132 to 154 pounds),” helium told CNN.

He held up his limb successful beforehand of his face, but the carnivore seized it and pushed him to the ground. “Then successful 1 bite, my limb was done,” helium said.

The carnivore onslaught has near him with a breached limb and an injured leg, Halloran said. He has required 3 surgeries, and metallic plates person been inserted into his arm.

Attacks person besides taken spot successful cardinal Japan. Last month, a carnivore entered a supermarket successful Numata metropolis and attacked shoppers, according to NHK. While cipher was killed, constabulary officials said immoderate radical sustained injuries, though they did not accidental however superior they were.

The surge successful attacks has prompted immoderate countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, to contented question advisories to citizens surviving oregon travelling to Japan.

In a “wildlife alert” issued connected Wednesday, the US Department of State said: “Bear sightings and attacks person accrued successful parts of Japan, particularly successful municipalities adjacent to oregon adjacent to populated zones.

“In Sapporo, authorities closed Maruyama Park successful Sapporo, which is adjacent to the US Consulate General, for 2 weeks pursuing a carnivore sighting successful the park.

“Although the Consulate is located extracurricular of the park, we promote each visitors for regular oregon different services to beryllium diligent and alert of your surroundings.”

In precocious October, the UK’s Foreign Office warned British travellers not to task unsocial into wood areas and to debar leaving litter and nutrient discarded if they do.

A brownish carnivore gnaws astatine the cage it is trapped successful in Sunagawa, Hokkaido Prefecture [File: Sakura Murakami/Reuters]

Why are carnivore attacks connected the rise?

Mochizuki said 1 crushed is simply a nutrient shortage for bears successful the mountainous regions of the country. He said bears chiefly provender connected acorns and beech nuts, which person not been abundant this year.

“In years erstwhile earthy nutrient is scarce, bears are much apt to task into quality settlements successful hunt of food,” helium told Al Jazeera.

According to the Ministry of Environment, determination was a surge of attacks successful 2023 pursuing mediocre acorn yields. Some experts accidental clime alteration is simply a crushed for the debased production.

Mochizuki noted that carnivore populations person besides expanded successful the state “due to semipermanent conservation and reduced hunting pressure” and said that this origin has accrued bears’ “contact zones with humans”. According to the government, the wide carnivore colonisation is presently much than 54,000.

In 2012, the Environment Ministry’s biodiversity centre said the fig of achromatic bears was astir 15,000, portion brownish carnivore numbers person doubled since 1990, though it did not springiness numbers.

Mochizuki said that different crushed carnivore attacks are rising is agrarian depopulation, caused by young radical leaving their villages and moving to cities for amended occupation opportunities.

“As agrarian areas property and decline, unmanaged fields and colony edges make casual entree routes for bears,” helium added.

How are the Japanese authorities managing the situation?

Last week, Japan’s subject and riot constabulary were deployed to the scenic mountainous portion of Akita to effort to incorporate the surge successful carnivore attacks.

But portion riot constabulary are authorised to sprout the bears, subject unit are not and indispensable enactment alongside backstage hunters.

“The Japan Self-Defense Forces are legally restricted to nationalist defence and catastrophe relief, and truthful person nary ineligible authorization to termination wildlife,” Mochizuki said.

“Hunters, by contrast, clasp authoritative hunting licences and firearm permits nether Japan’s Wildlife Protection and Management Law. They tin beryllium formally authorised by prefectural governments to behaviour nuisance control, including the shooting of bears erstwhile necessary,” helium added.

So the subject has been helping the region’s section assemblage by mounting up carnivore traps oregon removing carcasses of the bears changeable by hunters they are moving with.

What are section radical doing?

Residents of affected areas, particularly Akita, person been utilizing AI-surveillance systems and drones to alert them to the beingness of bears, according to Akita’s mayor.

NHK reported that radical person besides been advised not to permission nutrient astir erstwhile they spell connected picnics successful the forest, and besides to chopped down immoderate nut-bearing trees that whitethorn pull bears.

What different measures tin beryllium taken to halt carnivore attacks?

Mochizuki said 3 main measures tin beryllium effective.

“Firstly, nutrient sources astir quality settlements should beryllium eliminated,” helium said. “Proper absorption of garbage, abandoned effect trees, and plot nutrient is the astir effectual preventive measure.”

He added that carnal barriers specified arsenic electrical fencing astir farms oregon colony perimeters “can importantly trim carnivore entry”.

“Thirdly, aboriginal detection done camera traps, sensors and GPS data, accelerated connection done mobile alerts tin assistance communities respond rapidly to carnivore presence,” helium said.

Mochizuki acknowledged that portion the subject and constabulary person been deployed to assistance carnivore hunters, the state faces a shortage of hunters and wildlife unit owed to its ageing population.

“Recruiting younger members and expanding municipal unit capableness is essential,” helium said.

Last, Mochizuki highlighted the value of educating residents and tourists astir the bears.

“Many people, including planetary visitors, are unfamiliar with carnivore behaviour and information practices and request amended guidance,” helium said.