Japan – In an extraordinary move reflecting the worsening crisis, Japan has deployed its military forces to support local authorities in dealing with an unprecedented wave of bear attacks in the north of the country.
Official data and the Japan Times reported that these attacks have killed 12 people and injured more than 100 others since the beginning of this year.
Panic escalated and military intervention ensued.
The decision to deploy troops came after an increase in bear sightings near schools and commercial areas, particularly in the northern prefectures of Akita, Iwate and Fukushima, prompting authorities to temporarily close institutions and sparking public panic.
Defense officials explained that the military’s role would be non-combat, limited to providing the necessary logistical support to counter the growing threat.
The troops’ tasks include transporting carcasses, setting traps, and patrolling forested areas.
Meanwhile, only licensed hunters will be permitted to shoot bears that pose a direct threat to the lives of residents.
The causes of the crisis and a heated national debate
Authorities and experts attribute this sharp rise in attacks to a combination of environmental and demographic factors, with the decline in oak and beech harvests driving bears to seek food in urban areas.
The mild winter seasons delay the entry of animals into hibernation, keeping them active for longer periods, and the abandonment of rural areas by the population has left agricultural and forest areas without management or control.
The animal control sector faces an additional challenge in the aging of qualified hunters, with about 60% of them over the age of 60, which greatly reduces the ability to effectively control the growing bear population.
