TOKYO: Bears have killed a record seven people in Japan this year, marking the highest number since records began in 2006.
An environment ministry official confirmed this alarming statistic on Thursday, attributing the rise to increasing bear sightings in residential areas.
“This is the largest toll since 2006 when statistics started,“ the official stated, surpassing the five victims recorded in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity following confirmation that a man found dead last week in Iwate was killed by a bear.
Including these fatal cases, at least 108 people have been injured since the fiscal year started in April.
This represents a significant increase from 85 injury incidents including three fatal cases the previous fiscal year, though lower than the 219 incidents in 2023/24.
Last week a 1.4-metre adult bear entered a supermarket in Numata, Gunma, located north of Tokyo.
The animal lightly injured a man in his 70s and another in his 60s, according to regional police and fire officials.
Hiroshi Horikawa, a management planning official at the grocery store chain, noted the store’s proximity to mountainous areas but said bears had never come near before.
“It entered from the main entrance and stayed inside for roughly four minutes,“ he described.
“It almost climbed onto the fish case and damaged glass. In the fruits section, it knocked over a pile of avocados and stamped on them,“ he added.
The store’s manager told local media that approximately 30 to 40 customers were inside during the incident, with the bear becoming agitated while struggling to find the exit.
The same day a farmer in Iwate region was scratched and bitten by a bear accompanied by a cub just outside his house.
Earlier this month a Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear at a bus stop in the scenic village of Shirakawa-go in central Japan.
Climate change significantly contributes to the increased incidents by affecting the bears’ food sources like acorns and altering their hibernation patterns.
Japan hosts two bear species: Asian black bears, also known as moon bears, and the larger brown bears found on the northern island of Hokkaido.
Authorities cull thousands of these animals annually to manage the growing human-bear conflict. – AFP
