Japan sends troops to northern region to stop bear attacks after record casualties

TOKYO — TOKYO (AP) — Japan deployed troops Wednesday to assist comprise a surge of bear assaults which have terrorized residents in a mountainous area within the northern prefecture of Akita.

Experiences of generally lethal encounters with brown bears and Asiatic black bears are being reported virtually every day forward of hibernation season because the bears forage for meals. They’ve been seen close to colleges, practice stations, supermarkets and at a sizzling springs resort.

Since April, greater than 100 individuals have been injured and a minimum of 12 killed in bear assaults throughout Japan, in keeping with Atmosphere Ministry statistics on the finish of October.

The rising bear inhabitants’s encroachment into residential areas is occurring in a area with a quickly getting old and declining human inhabitants, with few individuals skilled to hunt the animals.

The federal government has estimated the general bear inhabitants at greater than 54,000.

The Protection Ministry and Akita prefecture signed an settlement Wednesday to deploy troopers who will set field traps with meals, transport native hunters and assist eliminate lifeless bears. Officers say the troopers is not going to use firearms to cull the bears.

“Every single day, bears intrude into residential areas within the area and their impression is increasing,” Deputy Chief Cupboard Secretary Fumitoshi Sato instructed reporters. “Responses to the bear drawback are an pressing matter.”

The operation started in a forested space in Kazuno metropolis, the place various bear sightings and accidents have been reported. White-helmeted troopers sporting bulletproof vests and carrying bear spray and internet launchers arrange a bear entice close to an orchard.

Takahiro Ikeda, an orchard operator, mentioned bears have eaten greater than 200 of his apples that have been prepared for harvest. “My coronary heart is damaged,” he instructed NHK tv.

Akita Gov. Kenta Suzuki mentioned native authorities have been getting “determined” as a consequence of an absence of manpower.

Protection Minister Shinjiro Koizumi mentioned Tuesday the bear mission goals to assist safe individuals’s every day lives, however that service members’ major mission is nationwide protection they usually can not present limitless help for the bear response. The Japanese Self-Protection Forces are already understaffed.

The ministry has not acquired requests from different prefectures for troop help over the bear subject, he mentioned.

In Akita prefecture, which has a inhabitants of about 880,000, bears have attacked greater than 50 individuals since Could, killing a minimum of 4, in keeping with the native authorities. Specialists say most assaults have occurred in residential areas.

An older girl who went mushroom-hunting within the forest was discovered lifeless in an obvious assault over the weekend in Yuzawa metropolis. One other older girl in Akita metropolis was killed after encountering a bear whereas engaged on a farm in late October. A newspaper supply man was attacked and injured in Akita metropolis on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, a resident of Akita metropolis noticed two bears on a persimmon tree in her backyard. She was indoors and filmed the bears as they walked round for about half-hour. She instructed an area TV community the bears appeared at one level to need to enter the room she was in, and she or he moved away from the window.

Deserted neighborhoods and farmland with persimmon or chestnut timber usually appeal to bears to residential areas. As soon as bears discover meals, they maintain coming again, consultants say.

Specialists say Japan’s getting old and declining inhabitants in rural areas is one motive for the rising drawback. They are saying the bears will not be endangered and want culling to maintain the inhabitants beneath management.

Native hunters are additionally getting old and never used to bear searching. Specialists say police and different authorities must be skilled as “authorities hunters” to assist cull the animals.

The federal government arrange a process power final week to create an official bear response by mid-November. Officers are contemplating bear inhabitants surveys, using communication gadgets to subject bear warnings and revisions to searching guidelines.

The shortage of preventive measures within the northern areas has led to a rise within the bear inhabitants, the ministry mentioned.

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AP video journalist Mayuko Ono contributed to this report.