Japan has seen a wave of deadly attacks this year, and in an attempt to tackle the problem, authorities have decided to involve retired police officers and soldiers in assassination attempts. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara convened a special ministerial meeting in response to a growing number of deadly bear attacks that have claimed the lives of at least 13 people across the country since April.
At the meeting, the authorities approved a package of policies to combat bears. Retired police and military personnel have been specially selected because they have experience in handling weapons. Bears are reportedly searching homes, schools and even supermarkets.
“The aim of the package is to reduce the excessive bear population by removing bears from human habitations and intensifying trapping,” Minoru Kiharu was quoted as saying by AFP.
According to a report by the Japanese Ministry of Environment, over 100 people were injured from April to September this year. Additionally, nearly 20,700 bear sightings were reported nationwide during this period. Almost 7,000 more than in the same period of the previous year.
After a series of bear sightings and attacks, the tourism sector seems to be hit hard. The most anticipated autumn season, which attracts a large number of tourists, is feeling the impact as the popular fall foliage viewing spot Nikko has not found many nature lovers this year. Amid the fear of bear attacks, tourists chose safety over embracing nature.
The city of Nikko is located in Tochigi Prefecture, a few hours’ drive from the capital, Tokyo. The peaceful destination known for its beautiful autumn foliage is usually crowded with visitors from all over Japan and the world.
According to NHK World, visitors used to ride cable cars up the mountain and then descend to enjoy the scenery, but this tourist activity has been closed.
The increasing bear population is a cause for concern
Expanding bear populations have become a major concern due to abundant food availability and a warming climate. According to a recent government report, Japan’s brown bear population has doubled over the past three decades and now stands at around 12,000.
Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute researcher Naoki Ohnishi told AFP that some mountains were “overpopulated” with bear populations. The population of Asiatic black bears on the country’s main island of Honshu has seen a significant increase, reaching 42,000.
“Simply put, the size of the bear population has exceeded the capacity of the mountains to sustain them,” Naoki Ohnishi was quoted as saying by AFP.
Although rising temperatures have led to more frequent acorn crops, the nuts still produce good and bad crops every two to five years as part of the normal crop cycle.
A professor at the University of Tokyo, Shinsuke Koike, suggested that many bears had left the mountains and wandered into cities in search of food after a recent bad harvest.
