TOKYO: Bear attacks have left at least 27 people injured or dead across nine prefectures in Japan during the current fiscal year as of Wednesday noon (June 10), according to a tally by public broadcaster NHK.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, four of the victims were confirmed to have died after being attacked by bears.
By prefecture, Fukushima recorded the highest number of casualties with eight, followed by Akita with five, Iwate with four, Yamagata and Toyama with three each, and Tokyo, Niigata, Hokkaido, and Miyagi with one each, according to NHK.
Based on available information, at least 11 of the 27 victims were attacked within human living areas, including urban districts, farmland and areas near their homes.
On June 2, four people were injured in a series of bear attacks in a neighborhood of Fukushima City where businesses and residences are located.
On Tuesday, an elderly woman in her 80s in Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, fell and suffered injuries to her arm and other areas after coming face-to-face with a bear in front of her home. The same day, a woman was attacked by a bear at a shrine parking lot in a mountainous area of Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, sustaining injuries to her face and shoulder.
In addition, at least nine people, including three of those who died, are believed to have been attacked while visiting forests or mountainous areas to gather wild edible plants.
Meanwhile, more bear sightings have been recorded in urban areas, raising public concern. On Tuesday, a roughly 100 kg bear was cornered and tranquilized following four days of repeated sightings in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, prompting the temporary closure of all 94 municipal elementary and junior high schools.
Another bear was captured Wednesday night near Amanohashidate, a famous scenic spot in Kyoto Prefecture, according to Kyodo News.
To help prevent bear attacks, the Ministry of the Environment urges people to carry radios or bear bells, travel in groups rather than alone, deliberately make loud noises in areas with poor visibility, avoid leaving food waste or other attractants that may draw bears, and check the latest bear sighting information issued by local governments. - Xinhua
