Japan has recorded a record number of deaths from bear attacks this year, the environment ministry said amid mounting concern over another possible victim after a man went missing.
At least seven people have died in bear attacks since April, making it the largest toll since 2006, when the country started keeping a record of bear attack deaths.
Authorities fear a 60-year-old man, who went missing on Thursday while cleaning an outdoor hot spring bath, could be the latest victim of a bear attack. At least five others sustained injuries following attacks in Akita and Fukushima prefectures, Fuji Television network reported.
Bear sightings have been increasing across several parts of Japan in recent years, partly due to habitat loss and a shortage of food in the wild. Experts say the climate crisis and the rising temperature are also impacting the hibernation patterns of the animals.
Last week, a 1.4m adult bear was spotted entering a supermarket in Japan's Gunma region, north of Tokyo. More than 100 other people have been left with injuries, including bites and deep gashes from bear attacks, according to reports.
Earlier in October, a man in his 70s was found dead in the northern Iwate region after being attacked by the animal. His head and torso had been separated, local media reported. Two days later, the body of another man in his 70s was discovered in a forest in Iwate.
A woman in her 80s was taking a walk in Akita Prefecture when a bear pounced on her from behind, leaving her with facial injuries that required stitches.
"It was so sudden. I only remember the feeling that it was a bear. I won't go out by myself anymore. I don't know where a bear might appear,” she was quoted by NHK World as saying.
Japan's environment ministry has previously issued advisories urging local governments to take preventive measures, such as installing warning signs and using noise deterrents.
It also loosened restrictions on shooting bears in residential areas in the wake of an alarming rise in bear attacks. Until now, hunters were banned from shooting at bears in densely populated areas without explicit police permission. Critics said this often slowed the response to dangerous situations.
The revised law, passed in April, grants municipal authorities the power to ask licensed hunters to cull or capture brown and black bears directly.
Japanese environment minister Keiichiro Asao last month said the government would "provide training, share case examples and offer financial support to ensure smooth implementation”.
Japan’s local governments reported 3,032 bear sightings in April and May alone, about 500 more than in a typical year.
