Photo/Illutration A mother brown bear and her cub walk across a road in Shari, Hokkaido, in May 2022. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Following an increase in bear attacks this year, wildlife experts asked the public to understand the need for bear countermeasures as local governments faced a backlash.

In an emergency statement issued on Nov. 12, the Association of Wildlife and Human Society said that “inconsiderate phone calls and persistent complaints (about bears being killed) can demoralize the people involved and hinder our coexistence with bears.”

The association requested consideration for those involved in implementing bear killing or capture. In some areas, local government offices handling bear countermeasures have reportedly received numerous complaints and slanderous comments.

Mayumi Yokoyama, a professor of wildlife management at the University of Hyogo, who also heads the association that compiled the statement, said, “We have heard that many staff have been hurt by slanderous remarks and we are deeply concerned.

“We would like people to understand that staff have made difficult choices to coexist with bears. We can protect bears by better protecting people,” she said.

Bear sightings and attacks have been occurring frequently this autumn in Hokkaido and Japan’s main island Honshu.

According to the Environment Ministry’s reports, in this fiscal year starting in April 2023, 180 people were injured in attacks by brown and black bears by the end of October, the highest number on record. Five of those attacked died and bear attacks are also continuing this month. 

The statement said that a major reason for this fall’s significant increase in bear encounters is “the poor harvest of acorns.”

The association said that while it’s common for bear encounters to increase every few years, the number of such encounters has been growing.

The bear population has increased and their habitat range broadened in the past decade, which led to more bears living near urban areas. They are attracted to neglected persimmons and other fruit in human settlements, according to the association.

It also said that bear culling has been limited since 2000, which has greatly contributed to this situation.

To prevent future harm, the association said that it is necessary to promote bear culling efforts around urban areas and remove unwanted fruit trees and other food sources that could attract bears.

Long-term measures to consider include managing the bears’ distribution and population to ensure their survival while reducing their encounters with humans, as well as collecting data necessary to manage the bears and forecast potential problems.

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