Government Japan is failing to cope with a bear invasion that has already become the country’s deadliest on record. About it writes Mainichi Shimbun.
In just six months – from April to October – 180 bear attacks on people were recorded in Japan. Doctors were unable to help five victims. To ensure the safety of residents, local authorities destroy animals that invade settlements and homes. This, in turn, causes protests from animal rights activists and residents who feel sorry for the bears.
After three bears that had gotten into a shed near a house were killed in Misato, Akita Prefecture, in October, authorities received more than a hundred calls from outraged citizens. As the publication writes, such protests may be dictated by a desire to protect animals, but “these people apparently have a poor understanding of the state of affairs on the ground.”
Moreover, there are fewer and fewer professional hunters in Japan, and their average age is steadily increasing. According to the Mainichi Shimbun, people do not perceive them as their protectors and do not realize that they are risking their lives for their safety.
The Hokkaido and Tohoku Regional Governors’ Association sent a request to the Ministry of Environment asking for clarification on the need to capture the animals. Officials also demanded that bears be added to the list of animals subject to control. If such a decision is made by the national government, then grants will be allocated to reduce the number of predators.
According to the authors of the material, the government in Tokyo should develop a plan to protect people living near bear habitats, together with representatives of municipal authorities.
Previously reported, that in Japan a wild bear ate a student who went on a mountaineering trip. The young man was torn to pieces by a wild animal; his identity was established only two days later thanks to a DNA test.
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