TOKYO: The number of people attacked by bears in Japan between April and October totalled 180, already a record high on a fiscal year basis, according to the environment ministry.
This is the worst number ever since the statistics started in fiscal 2006, the ministry said in a preliminary report on Wednesday.
The previous record high was 158 logged in fiscal 2020. Five people have been killed in attacks by bears so far in fiscal 2023, which started in April, it added.
The monthly number of people attacked by bears stood at 15 in August, soaring to 38 in September and 71 in October, said Xinhua.
The Tohoku region in northeastern Japan accounts for around 70 per cent of the total. Experts said that bears have appeared near human settlements more frequently this year partly because they cannot get enough food in the mountains due to poor harvest of nuts.
The ministry is calling for maximum vigilance until the bears go into hibernation in December. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
