Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Bear attacks in Japan are at a record high. Climate change and an aging population are making the problem worse
A record number of bear sightings, encounters, and attacks has been reported this year in Japan. Indeed, Japan is mountainous and rich in nature and there are quite a few bears that live in the mountains mostly in Hokkaido, the large northern island, and the Tohoku region, the northernmost part of the main island. Only in one day in October, four people were injured by bear attacks in Akita prefecture, a northern prefecture on Japan’s main island with a population of around 900,000. During the fall months, bears eat and drink heavily and continuously in order to put on weight to prepare for winter and hibernation. Japan’s bears usually find enough food, mainly mountain acorns in their habitats but when there isn’t enough like this year, they come closer to human habitats in search of food, such as fruits, nuts, and farm products. There are many human-bear encounters this year not only in the mountains but also around villages and even in towns. Bears are timid by nature and try not to encounter humans, but when they do, they can become aggressive because they are afraid and try to protect themselves or their cubs. Will they have enough food in their habitats when climate change is affecting fauna and flora more and in different ways? In the meantime, the governments in the bear-living regions encourage visitors and residents around the mountains to carry a bear bell or walk with a dog.
Read the article and learn about Japan’s record bear encounters.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/09/asia/bear-attacks-japan-record-climate-intl-hnk/index.html
Bear attacks in Japan are at a record high. Climate change and an aging population are making the problem worse
A record number of bear sightings, encounters, and attacks has been reported this year in Japan. Indeed, Japan is mountainous and rich in nature and there are quite a few bears that live in the mountains mostly in Hokkaido, the large northern island, and the Tohoku region, the northernmost part of the main island. Only in one day in October, four people were injured by bear attacks in Akita prefecture, a northern prefecture on Japan’s main island with a population of around 900,000. During the fall months, bears eat and drink heavily and continuously in order to put on weight to prepare for winter and hibernation. Japan’s bears usually find enough food, mainly mountain acorns in their habitats but when there isn’t enough like this year, they come closer to human habitats in search of food, such as fruits, nuts, and farm products. There are many human-bear encounters this year not only in the mountains but also around villages and even in towns. Bears are timid by nature and try not to encounter humans, but when they do, they can become aggressive because they are afraid and try to protect themselves or their cubs. Will they have enough food in their habitats when climate change is affecting fauna and flora more and in different ways? In the meantime, the governments in the bear-living regions encourage visitors and residents around the mountains to carry a bear bell or walk with a dog.
Read the article and learn about Japan’s record bear encounters.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/09/asia/bear-attacks-japan-record-climate-intl-hnk/index.html
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