Bear attacks 4 men in Nagano

**the attack took place shortly before 6 a.m. when the 80-kilogram male bear wandered into a residential area. Authorities** said in autumn, bears aggressively search for food before hibernating for the winter.

You would think they have signs / decals posted warning off residents and provide counter-attack advice such as purchasing whistles.

Carrying a piercing sounding whistle is the standard anti-bear advice where I am from: Boulder, Colorado.

Here is a good link about nature skills and what to do if in a situation and a bear might attack you;

http://www.natureskills.com/outdoor-safety/bear-attacks/

Now I suppose some folks here are going to thumb down good advice(rolling eye's here)

I thought they put tracking collars on the bears to get to know their regular routes. Doesn't seem to be very helpful. For Nagano there is an online monkey route info and regular monkey reports. I can't figure why they cant do the same for bears. Well, I know it's easier with monkeys as they migrate in herds, but bears recently consuming humans in residential or close residential areas like we are going to the convenience store to get some chips. I don't believe that nothing can be done to solve this problem.

Otherwise, bears are not intelligent like monkeys, easily get confused or can be scared away if the authorities cared to work out some preventive methods or plans. Nothing will happen until a bear clips the mayor's ears.

It's unfortunate but these things will always happen on the border between human and bear habitats.

Sad to hear that the poor bear was shot.

It's horrible that people were hurt but at least that one person had already reached his 80s... that's a good innings.

Yamanouchi town is quite rural and seems there has been little encroachment into wildlife habitat since the Olympics. Very peaceful and serene place about 45 minute train ride from Nagano. It is the end of that train line.

Zichi reply, Thankyou very much for yous bear territorial information, like I said I am not familiar with the habitat

Karen YapOct. 22, 2011 - 07:53PM JST Its sad, the bears habitat is shrinking. Pretend to be dead cause you can't outrun a bear.

Bad advice. In these situations the people walked out on the bear and it attacked in (it's opinion) self-defence. In these circumstances black bears will not normally stop if you play dead. Black bears will only ignore someone who's playing dead if it's before hostilites are initiated, and even then when they're feeding up pre-hiberation it's not a good bet that they won't lower their standards and take a few bites.

Your best bet is to retreat indoors. Most people in rural areas in Japan leave their doors unlocked and this means that unless you're hiking in the wilderness you'll only have to run a short distance. Over a short distance a human can out-run almost anything. We have less legs to sort out. Animals with 4 legs, like bears, have better stamina, but they have a lumbering stride and they take a while to sort out their rhythm.

So, run for the nearest door and hope like hell its unlocked. Fight as a last resort. But lying down and playing dead will quickly result in you not needing to "play" dead.

Its sad, the bears habitat is shrinking. Pretend to be dead cause you can't outrun a bear.

Sorry Zichi but I really do not understand your comment so maybe I thumbed you down too.

You could thumb him back up again. That being said, it looks like (some) posters play around with the good/bad buttons, having no clue what they are doing, and/or are just doing it to entertain themselves, or just being bearish?

Guess the hunting party has been summoned. Darn, i was going to dress as bear for holloween.

Tranquilizer darts.

No, not a good idea. Bears hunting for food before hibernation are extremely dangerous. The darts do not have an instant effect and the animal goes berserk.

Another reason not to get up too early...but seriously, I would love to go hiking in the mountain forests this time of the year to view the autumn foliage, but those bears do make me afraid, esp since I would have our 11 kg baby girl on the back.

Sorry Zichi but I really do not understand your comment so maybe I thumbed you down too.

Tranquilizer darts.

We should not think that bears are as cute and cuddly as Winnie the Pooh, or Smokey the Bear, they are wild and on the food chain, well, we make look mighty tasty to them bears, especially real hungry ones, ready to go hibernate before going to beddy bye time for their winter hibernation, right??

Habitat between wildlife and humans is becoming increasingly blurred, we encroach on their habtat and they on what is considered to be ours. I do not know whether or not Japan has a wildlife secure park for bears and other creatures with whom we share this earth, if not perhaps it is time one was created. A hungy bear will hunt where ever it considers food is availiable in its instinct for survival, sometimes bringing it into conflict with human civilisation. I wish those who became victims of the rogue bear a speedy recovery,Somehow this problem has to be resolved to the benefit of both human and creatures

I hope the man survives. Its a shame they had to kill the bear.

I hope everyone is OK.