Earlier this week, Japan’s military deployed troops to the north of the country to help trap bears following requests from local authorities.
A wave of bear attacks has plagued the island nation, prompting an operation that began in the town of Kazuno.
In recent weeks, residents of mountainous areas have been warned to avoid forested areas, stay home after dark, and carry bells to deter bears that may be foraging for food near their homes.
Since April, more than 100 bear attacks have been recorded, and a record 12 people have been killed, according to the environment ministry. Two-thirds of those deaths occurred in Akita prefecture, where Kazuno is located, as well as nearby Iwate.
“As bears continue to enter populated areas in many regions and injuries from bear attacks increase daily, we absolutely cannot afford to put off bear countermeasures,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato said at a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, per Reuters.
Authorities in Akita claim that bear sightings have surged sixfold this year to more than 8,000, prompting a request for assistance from the country’s military.
On Wednesday morning, an army truck, multiple jeeps, and over a dozen soldiers, some of whom were carrying body armor, gathered in the town, which has a population of roughly 30,000 people. While there, the troops will help transport, set, and inspect traps that can be used to capture bears. However, culling will be left to trained hunters.
The country has seen a rash of attacks in recent months, with bears attacking customers inside a supermarket and a tourist being jumped while waiting at a bus stop near a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Japanese black bears, found throughout much of the country, can weigh up to 287 pounds, while brown bears, which inhabit the northern island of Hokkaido, can be significantly larger, weighing up to around 880 pounds.
This is not the first time the country has deployed the military to help control wildlife. Around a decade ago, Japan’s military was used to assist with aerial surveillance to track wild deer.
