Japan Is Facing a Strange Crisis of Deadly Bear Attacks

"We live in a era of nearly universally grim climate projections, when the rapidly changing weather of our world threatens everything from our ability to maintain a home or get insured, to the future viability of the staple crops that we consider integral to the American diet. But opening up any can of worms even tangentially related to climate change always serves as a reminder of how"

"In the year 2025 alone-and this data isn't even final-there were at least 235 bear attacks on people in Japan, which resulted in at least 13 fatalities. This is, suffice to say, a shockingly large number of bears attacking and especially killing human beings compared to the historical baseline for Japan-and it's a lot even in comparison to the number of attacks in a far bigger, more populous and more bear-rich nation like the United States."

Rapidly changing climate and tightly interconnected social and ecological systems are increasing risks across housing, insurance, and staple crops. A convergence of demographic shifts, environmental change, and forest-management practices is driving a surge in human-bear encounters in Japan. In 2025 there were at least 235 bear attacks and 13 fatalities, an unusually high toll compared with Japan's historical baseline and with larger, bear-rich countries such as the United States. Population density and land-use patterns concentrate people and wildlife in smaller spaces, intensifying conflicts. Small changes in multiple variables can cascade into large, unpredictable impacts on human safety and ecosystems.

Read at Jezebel