Japan wants to make it easier to kill bears in private places despite an alarming increase in bear problems, but hunting claim it poses a high risk.
In the year to April, there were a record 219 bear attacks in the country – six of them fatal, according to official data.
Deadly attacks have continued to occur in recent months, as bears increasingly venture into populated areas. Some are now even thought to see humans as prey.
Bear figures have revived as Japan’s animal population ages and drops, especially outside locations. The effects have been risky, but typically resulting in harm rather than dying.
Only after a police officer’s approval may a certified hunter fire their weapons in accordance with the current law.
In order to increase the freedom of the weapons, the government intends to change the law at its upcoming political program. For example, hunters will be allowed to take if there is a danger of mortal injury, such as when a carry enters a building.
But hunting are afraid. Bear encounters are frightening and very risky. It is never guaranteed that we can shoot a bear by capturing,” said Satoshi Saito, executive director of the Hokkaido Hunters ‘ Association.
” If we miss the crucial point to halt the bear’s movement… it will move ahead and may harm other people,” he added. ” If it therefore attacks a man, who will be liable for that? “
Hokkaido has come to represent Japan’s growing carry problem.
The island with the highest people in the nation’s northernmost main island is poorly populated, but keep population has more than doubled since 1990, according to federal data. It now has around 12,000 brown bears, which are known to be more violent than black animals, of which there are around 10,000 in Japan by authorities ‘ quotes.
Various tactics have been employed by local governments to fend off bears.
Some have turned to odd guardians – robot wolves, complete with red eyes and spooky howls, while elsewhere in the country they are testing an artificial intelligence warning system.
For 10,300 yen ($ 64 ), the Hokkaido town of Naie has been attempting to employ hunters. £50 ) a day to patrol the streets, lay traps and kill the animals if necessary.
However, there are few people who will accept it because it requires a high level of risk, low give, and older applicants.
A 72-year-old warrior from the place told The Asahi Shimbun paper,” It is not worth the trouble because confronting a bear may throw our lives on the line,” referring to an experience with a brown bear as “fighting a US military commando.”
After a suspected dangerous keep assault, two police officers in northern Akita district were seriously injured by a grizzly while attempting to get a system from the woods in May.
According to local government official Mami Kondo,” The animals know people are manifest and attack people for their food, or recognize individuals themselves as food.”
There is a great chance that the same carry may trigger a number of incidents. “
More bears have moved from the hills to plain closer to people groups as their population has grown. Over period, they have become used to the sights and sounds of mankind, and less frightened of them.
As young people move to large cities, leaving cities almost entirely empty, there are also fewer people it. When bears would experience humans, it does turn aggressive.
Junpei Tanaka, a researcher at the Picchio Wildlife Research Center in Japan, said that “ears that enter metropolitan areas tend to despair, increasing the risk of injury or death.”
Bear occurrences and incidents typically occur in April when they wake up from sleep in search of foods, and then again in September and October when they eat fat to keep for the spring months.
However, as acorn yields, which is the main food source for bears, decline due to climate change, their movements have become more unstable.
” This amendment to the rules is obvious, but it is only a temporary estimate in an disaster,” Mr Tanaka said.
Capturing and killing the species is not the way ahead, he adds. Instead, the government needs to safeguard the biodiversity of the animals to prevent them from feeling compelled to get too far.
” In the long-term, it is necessary to implement nationwide plan to change the jungle environment, to make forests with great wildlife. “
He added that hunting and local authorities should be in charge of animals that wander into private areas.
” Preferably, there should be fully trained guns like government hunting who can deal with situations, but there are no such work in Japan right now. “
Hunters are used to killing animals in desolate areas, but residential places are a vastly different ground, according to Mr. Saito.
” If we do n’t shoot, people will criticise us and say’ Why did n’t you shoot when you have a shotgun? ‘ And if we shoot, I am sure folks may become angry and say it may strike one.
” I do n’t believe it is unreasonable to ask hunters to make such a decision because they are likely just regular salarymen.” “