Photo/Illutration A bear is spotted on the premises of the Hara-Kei Memorial Museum in Morioka on Oct. 20. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Rather than unlucky hikers running afoul of bears deep in the wilderness, a new study found that a majority of this year’s bear attacks occurred in populated areas.

According to a study by The Asahi Shimbun, 114 of 172 people, 66 percent, who were injured or killed by bears between April and Oct. 22 were in what they classified as “residential areas.”

These include urban districts and farmland in what has turned into a year of record attacks.

The other category was “forests,” which include isolated locales. Data was compiled from publicly available information and interviews across 34 prefectures where the animals have been confirmed to reside permanently. 

Monthly data shows that from April to June, most incidents occurred in forests when victims were gathering wild vegetables, mountain climbing or fishing, among other activities.

From July onward, the pattern changed, with bear attacks in  residential areas surpassing those in forests. From September to Oct. 22, 84 people--over 80 percent of all victims--had been attacked in those areas.

Akita Prefecture saw a particularly high concentration with 25 individuals assaulted between Oct. 2 and 22; all were injured in residential areas.

Injuries have continued increasing even after Oct. 23.

The number of people killed by bears this fiscal year has reached an all-time high, already totaling 10 and surpassing the previous record of six from fiscal 2023. According to the tally, six of the 10 deceased were attacked in residential areas, such as at their homes and welfare facilities.

The frequency of attacks may be tied to a poor harvest of acorns and other nuts causing bears to seek food beyond their usual habitats during a season where it is crucial for them to bulk up prior to hibernating.

Chihiro Takahata, a visiting researcher at Hokkaido University’s graduate school who studies bear movement using GPS collars, noted that it has become more common for bears to search for food in populated areas and farmland late at night when they are less likely to be spotted.

“Some residential areas have already become part of the bears’ habitat,” Takahata said, adding that people living near forests need to try to anticipate where the animals are likely to appear and take precautions.

(This article was written by Akihito Ogawa and Misato Nara.)

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