Jakarta, goldensamoyed Indonesia
—
Traveler
given a travel warning to
Japan
following the increase in cases
bear attack
in a number of tourist areas.
According to data
NHK
, at least 220 people were injured and 13 died as a result of bear attacks.The spike occurred due to an increasing bear population and a reduction in their natural food sources.
“Now there are much more bears coming,” said Shiroki Mitsunari, an official who oversees bear prevention efforts in Shirakawa village, as reported by
Independent
, Tuesday (18/11).
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In the tourist village of Shirakawa, which is on the UNESCO heritage list, a bear attacked tourists from Spain last month.Since then, authorities have captured six bears nearby using honey traps and cutting down fruit trees that attract the wild animals.
Bear sightings in Shirakawa jumped to more than 100 this year, nearly threefold compared to last year.
Most bear attacks occur in remote towns rarely visited by foreign tourists.However, the incident in Shirakawa and bear sightings at popular tourist sites such as the Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto, show this risk cannot be ignored by tourists.
The United States (US), China and Britain last week even issued travel warnings about the dangers of bear attacks in Japan.
The Asiatic black bear is globally categorized as a vulnerable species, but its population in Japan is estimated to have tripled since 2012. This is partly due to a decline in hunting activity.
Experts say climate change has reduced the harvest of bears’ natural foods such as acorns.Meanwhile, the decline in rural population and the large amount of abandoned agricultural land has made bears dare to look for food near human settlements.
In Shirakawa, Mitsunari is also worried about the school children where he used to study.
All students have now been equipped with bear bells and instructed to walk home in groups, to avoid bears which are most active in the morning and at dusk.
Before the incident with the Spanish tourists, the last attack in the village occurred 12 years ago.Because of this, Mitsunari is determined to prevent something similar from happening again.
“It was very embarrassing for us. We will not let it happen again,” he said.
(fby/pta)
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