Apex predator: Troops unloading a bear cage from a military truck in Akita amid spate of attacks. Black bears are common in Japan while the brown bear are found in Hokkaido. — AP/Reuters
THE military deployed troops to the country’s mountainous north to help trap bears after an urgent request from local authorities struggling to cope with a wave of attacks.
The operation began in the town of Kazuno, where residents for weeks have been told to avoid the thick forests that surround it, stay home after dark and carry bells to deter bears that might forage near their homes for food.
