Japan sees surge in fatal bear attacks

Japanese police are investigating a new suspected fatal bear attack after a man was found dead on a mountain in Aomori prefecture, with bite marks identified on his body. The incident adds to a sharp rise in bear‑related deaths, with five people killed since April 2026 – a fivefold increase compared with the same period last year. Government data show that bear sightings nationwide have topped 50,000, more than double the figures recorded two years earlier.

Scientists link the surge to a growing bear population and a declining rural populace, which increases the likelihood of human‑wildlife encounters. Earlier this month, dozens of police officers, hunters and city officials were deployed in Utsunomiya north of Tokyo to capture a roaming bear that forced mass school closures. In Fukushima, a bear attacked four people at two factories and a residential area before escaping. The U.S. State Department has warned Americans in Japan to stay alert for bears, and a Japanese firm has begun marketing a robot‑wolf scarecrow to deter the animals.