Japan kills 14,000 bears following surge in human attacks

Japan has killed approximately 14,000 bears between April 2025 and January 2026 following a record year of human-bear conflicts. Government data indicates that 12,000 Asian black bears and 2,000 brown bears were culled. This drastic measure follows a period where over 230 people were attacked in urban-adjacent areas, resulting in 13 deaths.

Most incidents occurred in the northern prefectures of Akita and Iwate. Experts attribute the increased frequency of encounters to extreme heat, which reduced the availability of essential food sources like beech nuts and acorns, and the depopulation of rural areas, which has left abandoned orchards and fields providing expanded habitats for bears to approach human settlements.

The government has set a target to cull an additional 8,800 animals during the current fiscal year and has mobilized the military to prevent severe accidents. However, the strategy has sparked debate regarding its effectiveness and the risk to species conservation, as environmental organizations warn of potential regional extinction for the Asian black bear.