Hunters, Authorities Exhausted amid Bear Crisis in Akita Pref.

Akita, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Amid the unusually frequent occurrence of bear attacks on humans in Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, local officials and hunting association members tasked with responding to the crisis are showing signs of fatigue. Bears appear day and night, sometimes prompting capture operations on weekends. A shortage of box traps has become a serious issue, and the situation has escalated to the point where support from the Self-Defense Forces is needed. According to the Akita prefectural government, four people have been killed and about 60 injured by bears so far in fiscal 2025. The prefecture’s bear information website, “Kumadas,” recorded more than 5,500 sightings in October alone. In the city of Daisen, about 500 bear sightings were reported in October. City officials are dispatched to confirm or chase away bears whenever reports come in. “We have to respond regardless of weekends or after-hours,” said one weary official. Due to the surge in bear appearances, the city has nearly depleted its supply of box traps and has rushed to procure eight additional units. In the village of Higashinaruse, four people were killed or injured in a bear attack on Oct. 24. The village’s annual tallies of bear sightings and captures have both surpassed the fiscal 2023 totals, which were the highest in the past five years. “It’s difficult for us to handle this alone,” a village official said. The burden is also weighing heavily on local hunting associations, which are responsible for setting traps and capturing bears. According to Toshio Sato, the 81-year-old head of the Akita prefectural hunting association, members with day jobs cannot respond immediately to emergency calls, resulting in elderly members being mobilized. Each box trap weighs roughly between 100 and 200 kilograms, requiring about six people to move it. “We don’t know when the phone will ring with a dispatch request, so we have to stay home at all times,” Sato said. “We are short on both personnel and equipment” to deal with bears, Akita Governor Kenta Suzuki has said. The prefectural government has decided to procure 14 additional box traps by the end of November and lend them to municipalities. The prefecture also asked the Defense Ministry for support, such as transporting bears after they are killed. Following this request, the Ground Self-Defense Force began operations in the city of Kazuno on Wednesday. However, a senior prefectural official cautioned, “The SDF’s presence does not mean bears will no longer appear.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]