Japan boosts funding to hire hunters as bear attacks surge
Japan unveils new plan to tackle growing bear problem
- Japan is experiencing a record surge in wild bear attacks this year, resulting in 13 fatalities and injuring more than 100 people.
- The environment ministry is launching a programme to hire licensed hunters and personnel, utilising additional funds to address the problem.
- Authorities are considering legal amendments to permit police to use rifles against bears, with Japan's Self-Defence Forces also assisting in affected areas like Akita.
- Experts attribute the increase in attacks to environmental factors, such as climate change causing food shortages, and demographic shifts, with bears venturing into depopulated rural areas.
- Bear populations, including Asiatic black and brown bears, appear to be growing, leading to more frequent sightings in residential zones, particularly in Akita prefecture.