Japan deploys the military to counter a surge in bear attacks

"The Defense Ministry and Akita prefecture signed an agreement Wednesday to deploy soldiers who will set box traps with food, transport local hunters and help dispose of dead bears. Officials say the soldiers will not use firearms to cull the bears. "Every day, bears intrude into residential areas in the region and their impact is expanding," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fumitoshi Sato told reporters. "Responses to the bear problem are an urgent matter.""

"The operation began in a forested area in Kazuno city, where a number of bear sightings and injuries have been reported. White-helmeted soldiers wearing bulletproof vests and carrying bear spray and net launchers set up a bear trap near an orchard. Takahiro Ikeda, an orchard operator, said bears have eaten more than 200 of his apples that were ready for harvest. "My heart is broken," he told NHK television. Akita Gov. Kenta Suzuki said local authorities were getting "desperate" due to a lack of manpower."

Japan deployed troops to Akita prefecture to help contain a surge in brown and Asiatic black bear attacks. Bears have been foraging near schools, train stations, supermarkets and a hot springs resort ahead of hibernation, and reports of deadly and injuring encounters are occurring almost daily. Since April more than 100 people have been injured and at least 12 killed, Environment Ministry statistics showed at the end of October. The growing bear population is encroaching into areas with a rapidly aging, declining human population and few trained hunters. The Defense Ministry agreed to deploy soldiers to set box traps, transport local hunters and help dispose of dead bears without using firearms.

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