Panic In Japan, Deadly Bear Attacks On The Rise, Government Sends Army To Protect Citizens, What’s Happening?

Japan’s Defense Ministry has deployed Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel to Akita Prefecture amid an alarming rise in bear attacks. The move is not linked to any security threat, but to support local authorities managing a spike in incidents that have resulted in 13 deaths nationwide since April.

Japan Witnesses Rise in Bear Attacks

Reports indicate a sharp increase in bear sightings across Japan, particularly in northern and mountainous regions. Videos circulating online recently showed a bear running after a moving vehicle in what social media users claimed to be Hokkaido.

In Akita, more than 100 people have been injured this year in encounters with brown bears and Asiatic black bears, according to local reports. The number of fatalities recorded is already double the previous record from 2023-24, with five months still remaining in the fiscal year, AFP reported.

Sightings have become frequent in residential and public areas, including near schools, train stations, supermarkets and tourism sites.

Also Read: US Woman Throws Hot Coffee At McDonald’s Worker Over Delayed Order, Video Goes Viral

Army Deployed in Japan To Tackle Rising Bear Attacks

Hajime Nakae, professor of emergency and critical medicine at Akita University Hospital, described the situation as unsettling. He said the frequent sightings made him feel as though he was “living inside… a safari park for bears.”

The deployment began on Wednesday, 5 November. Troops are assisting in setting box traps, providing transport support to local hunters, and helping to dispose of bears that are killed.

According to The Independent, the personnel have been instructed not to open fire on the animals.

Reasons Behind the Increase in Bear Attacks

Researchers say a growing bear population combined with climate-related changes in food availability has contributed to the surge in encounters. Warm weather and abundant food sources such as acorns, deer, and wild boars have led bear numbers to rise significantly.

A recent government report estimates that Hokkaido’s brown bear population has nearly doubled in three decades to about 12,000. Meanwhile, Asian black bears on Honshu have increased to approximately 42,000.

Some mountain ecosystems are now reaching or exceeding their capacity, said Naoki Ohnishi of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute. “Put simply, the size of the bear population has gone beyond the capacity of the mountains to hold them,” AFP quoted him as saying.

What Are Locals Saying About Rising Bear Sightings In Japan?

Residents in northern regions say the danger now feels immediate.

“We hear news almost every day about people being attacked or injured,” said 28-year-old traditional Matagi hunter Kakeru Matsuhashi.

“It’s becoming something that feels personal, and it’s simply frightening,” he told AFP.

Also Read: Turkey Issues Arrest Warrant For Netanyahu Over Gaza ‘Genocide’ Claims, Hamas Welcomes Decision