Japan sees unprecedented pace of increase in bear attack victims

It said bear encounters can occur "anywhere" and called for people to take proper precautions and be vigilant.

If one were to happen in my Tokyo neighbourhood, I'd be very surprised.

Kill - or be killed.

Once bears have tasted human blood, they will not stop killing. They become killing machines. More needs to be done to keep these predators away from inhabited areas.

More needs to be done to keep these predators away from inhabited areas.

What measures do you have in mind?

Hottest summer that I can recall obviously affected their food supply in a negative way.

What measures do you have in mind?

Trapping, relocating - and if absolutely necessary due to safety - culling. No one loves bears more than me - but I'm afraid humans have a higher value.

A former colleague of mine (passed away last year) had a gun license and used to hunt bears. He only killed what he was prepared eat/distribute for food but he often talked about the need for hunting as part of population control. My understanding is that policy in Japan promotes this too.

Trapping, relocating - and if absolutely necessary due to safety - culling. -

Fair enough. Those measures aren't cheap though. And they are still dangerous.

It would help if bear spray was more easily and cheaply available in Japan. I have to buy North America brands because good quality Japanese ones aren't available.

No one loves bears more than me

I bet someone does.

Lack of food from their natural habitats.

A combiniation of an aging human population in Japan, the abandonment of farmland between towns and mountains that used to serve as buffer zones, extreme weather fluctuations that impact the supply of natural foods, all result in higher bear attacks and encounters.

@Fighto

There is nothing even remotely special - either positive or negative - about Human flesh.

Bears do not go crazy once they have attacked a person or persons.

Human flesh is meat - very rich in protein. If a predator eats a human being, it receives the same sustenance it would eating any other primate or its game.

The origin of the myth that ‘man-eaters’ develop a taste for Human flesh is easy to understand. As a reasoning and social ape, we have the ability to make up stories - such as what happened when someone came face-to-face with a Great White, Lion, Grizzly Bear.

It’s pretty demoralizing to realize that we as Humans are, to the rest of the Animal Kingdom, rather weak and quite tasty food sources, so we make up stories.

If a predator gets a taste of human flesh, it gets a meal - nothing more.

We as Humans love all bears, and for good reason: they are among the most wonderful and powerful of Earth’s creatures.

Lets not stoke a fire where there does not need to be one. The Bears are attacking due to the fact, we keep encroaching in the bears area of foraging and hunting, mating. Bears attack when they feel threated or triggered. Territorial by nature. They really attack when the Mother bear fears for her cubs well being.

Once bears have tasted human blood, they will not stop killing. They become killing machines.

Folklore only. Nothing more.

Folklore only. Nothing more.

The Canadians don’t seem to think so, and they aren’t ones to have a lot of folklore. They do kill bears that get a taste of humans though.

Try a referee whistle, plastic. It’s less than ¥200 on Amazon.co.jp and is quite loud.

Japan sees unprecedented pace of increase in bear attack victims

Stop victim-blaming!

Blame the perps!

Folklore only. Nothing more.

There is some truth in the theory. Human flesh is saltier than game meat, and animals, like humans, enjoy the taste.

Also, bears and other wild animals fear humans, so in killing a human they may overcome that fear.

From Wiki:

Most reported cases of man-eaters have involved lions, tigers, leopards, polar bears, and large crocodilians.

Truly man-eating bear attacks are uncommon, but are known to occur when the animals are diseased or natural prey is scarce, often leading them to attack and eat anything they are able to kill.

We are not Australia and we don’t have lions, tigers, leopards, polar bears, and large crocodilians.

@ fighto

Don’t know much about bears do you?

Truly man-eating bear attacks are uncommon

Bears in any country will never attack humans unless it is a mother bear with cubs when a human gets too close. In Canada where there are many Grizzly and other bears, I was once walking alone on the Odaray Plateau in the Rocky Mountains when I saw a steaming piece of bear dung and nearly stepped on it. Every hair on my body stood up and New Eyes Appeared Around My Head looking for the Grizzly! I walked ! very ! slowly ! for ! half ! an ! hour ! before I set up tent to sleep! Dear Reader of Japan Today: Always keep out of the way of bears in bear country and always carry a High Pitched Whistle ! Asyou read my comment in Japan Today You have proof that bears are Beautiful, Peaceful Creatures ! Because I would not be commenting in Japan Today and, I would be a piece of bear dung on the Odaray Pleateau had I been killed by a 600 pound Grizzly in the Canadian Rockies. Bears are Beautiful Peaceful Animals in Any Country.

Bears in any country will never attack humans unless it is a mother bear with cubs when a human gets too close.

That’s not true. A bear killed two people in Canada just last month, and it didn’t have cubs. It’s not cub season.

Not that bears develop a taste for human flesh but rather as intelligent animals they try us and realize we are edible.

Black bears aren't man eaters. They prefer berries, nuts, fruits and garbage. They'll attack if they feel threatened, or protecting territory or cubs.

Polar bears only eat meat, so they'll eat anything.

Grizzlies are just monsters. The fatal attack in Canada was a grizzly, not a black bear.

Relocate them, don't kill bears..

SIMPLE, Get out of their ways.

Good to see the bear population is thriving... not good for the bears. The response to this news wont be good for them.

I've never seen bear attacks measured in fiscal years. Are the bears aware of their impact on our bottom line?

Est to stay out of bear territory-simple isn’t it?

"Bear bells' do not work. They are just very annoying for anyone walking nearby you. Can we please dispell this myth?

Bear bells may be a popular item to put on your backpack, but they don’t effectively warn a bear you’re in the area. Bears won’t hear the bells until you’re too close. Yelling, clapping, and talking are more effective ways of alerting a bear to your presence.

Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/hiking-in-bear-country.htm#:~:text=Bear%20bells%20may%20be%20a,walks%20down%20a%20dirt%20road.

Article on bear safety:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm

Fighto!Oct. 22  05:22 pm JST

Kill - or be killed. Once bears have tasted human blood, they will not stop killing. They become killing machines..........................................Just like humans then?

Fighto was very close to being right in his suggested course of action, but came up a little bit short.

The reality is, a human cannot match the vicious strength of a bear. You're not going to win against one in a fight, ever. If you can grab a stick, or you have a blunt object on you, that may improve your odds, but you are still having to deal with the bear within its range of attack.

It's almost as if human intellect, the one true advantage we have over the animal kingdom, didn't lend itself to the creation of certain inventions that allow one to deal with threats from a safe distance. Oh wait, that totally is a thing, and you guessed it, it's illegal in Japan (a country of not helpless people).

I've never seen bear attacks measured in fiscal years. Are the bears aware of their impact on our bottom line?

I'd say that Japanese bears do for sure....very well mannered at least in a time keeping way. Just as the jellyfish of Japan's seas patiently wait until September 1st before moving inshore so as not to disturb bathers, which any self-respecting, stinging invertebrate would know is absolutely NOT swimming season.

I've never seen bear attacks measured in fiscal years. Are the bears aware of their impact on our bottom line?

I'd say that Japanese bears do for sure....very well mannered at least in a time keeping way. Just as the jellyfish of Japan's seas patiently wait until September 1st before moving inshore so as not to disturb bathers, which any self-respecting, stinging invertebrate would know is absolutely NOT swimming season.

As a teenager we stopped and spent the night camping in Yellowstone Park. During the night a Grizzly bear grabbed my feet and started dragging me. I scooted out of my sleeping bag and got in the car, faster than I thought it was possible to move. The bear then put its front paws on the roof of the car and started rocking it. When it left, we went back to sleep, too tired to move on. One of those stories one does not forget.

It amazes me sometimes the things I have survived. I was knocked unconscious by lightning while climbing up toward a radar tower, and attacked by a red tailed hawk, which I captured by choking it into unconsciousness. I gave the hawk to animal control, for release somewhere far from me.