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State Department issues warning in Japan after bears kill 13 since April
At least 13 deaths and over 100 injuries from bear attacks have been recorded since April, driven by food shortages and rural depopulation, officials said.
- On Wednesday, the United States Department of State issued a 'wildlife alert' warning Americans in Japan as bear sightings and attacks rose, noting a park near the U.S. Consulate General in Sapporo City was closed.
- Food scarcity and demographic shifts have pushed bears into residential areas as beechnuts and acorns are scarce and rural depopulation with fewer local hunters expands bear ranges.
- Environment Ministry figures show 13 people died in bear attacks this current fiscal year, with deaths in Iwate, Akita, Hokkaido, Nagano and Miyagi, while more than 100 were injured since April.
- Authorities have increased culling and countermeasures, hiring licensed hunters, training riot police, authorizing some police to shoot bears, and deploying Japan Self-Defense Forces for logistical support.
- The alert was notable because the U.S. State Department rarely issues wildlife warnings abroad, and the surge has unsettled communities, with a Japanese hot-spring inn reporting a 20 percent drop in bookings, said Hironori Takahashi.
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Japan is planning to deploy retired police officers and soldiers to combat bears as the country faces a record number of fatal attacks this year.
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U.S. Issues Travel Warning for Japan for a Very Unusual Reason
The U.S. State Department has issued a safety warning for parts of Japan, a country that has long been considered one of the safest in the world to visit, because of an increase in bear attacks in the north of the country. More than a dozen people have been killed by bears so far in Japan this year, and another bear sighting this week in Maruyama Park in the northern city of Sapporo has led authorities there to close the park for two weeks. The…
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution80% Center
Bias Distribution
- 80% of the sources are Center
80% Center
C 80%
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