Bear attacks in Japan are at an all-time high and things are only getting worse. Climate change and an aging population are making the problem even bigger, leading to a spike in reported bear incidences.
Japan is home to approximately 25,000 brown and bear bears. And while the animals have been out of sight and out of mind for most Japanese, that has not prevented them from leaving their mark. Bears are sometimes attracted to human settlements and in search of food, they raid garbage containers and feed on whatever crops are available.
Unfortunately, the ever-increasing levels of human development in Japan have resulted in an increase in bear-human confrontations. Bears have nowhere to go and are facing greater pressure to roam closer to cities and villages to solicit food. This has led to an increase in bear sighting and a rise in bear attacks.
The Environment Ministry of Japan said that the number of bear attacks in Japan has risen to a record high, topping 1,000 attacks in 2020. That’s a three-fold increase since 2000, and the number could increase even further as the population of bears grow and climate change continues to take its toll on the land.
A survey showed that the number of people killed in bear attacks in Japan also more than doubled from 2015 to 2019. The survey also noted that most of the fatal attacks occurred in regions of Hokkaido and Tohoku, where the number of attacks has been increasing steadily for the past few years.
The survey also showed that the number of people injured in bear attacks has risen significantly, with the highest number being recorded in 2020. A survey showed that elderly people, in particular, are at a higher risk of being attacked due to their tendency to take alternative routes in unfamiliar areas.
To make matters worse, an aging population in Japan means that there are fewer young people with the skills to hunt and drive away the bears, making it more difficult to protect against potential attacks.
The Japanese government is being forced to come up with new and innovative ways to protect people from bears and limit the number of confrontations. For instance, the government has proposed an “emergency curtains” that will block out a person’s vision and block bears from entering areas with lots of people. They have also suggested offering bear treats to try and prevent them from going into areas where people live.
Ultimately, tackling the issue of bear attacks requires the effort of both the government and citizens to ensure that the situation doesn’t get any worse. Increased public awareness, as well as the use of bear traps, are effective measures, but they alone will not be enough to solve the problem. Without proper education and implementation of measures to address the issue of climate change and an aging population, the number of bear attacks in Japan will continue to climb.