TOKYO, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) — Japan is seeing the variety of folks attacked by bears in fiscal 2023 enhance at an unprecedented tempo, native media reported Sunday.
A complete of 109 folks have been harm, two fatally, between April and September, principally within the northern a part of Japan’s important island Honshu, Kyodo News stated, citing the atmosphere ministry’s preliminary information launched in early October.
The quantity marks the very best for a similar interval since fiscal 2007 when such month-to-month statistics turned accessible, the report stated.
Attacks have been reported in 15 of Japan’s 47 prefectures throughout the six-month interval from April, with round 70 p.c of instances in northeastern Japan, in keeping with the information.
By prefecture, Akita had essentially the most victims, with 28 folks, adopted by Iwate and Fukushima with 27 and 13 folks, respectively, Kyodo News reported.
Meanwhile, this 12 months is seeing a poor nut season, forcing bears to enterprise to larger areas, together with close to human habitats, to hunt meals as they put together for hibernation, it added.
The present report for the very best variety of folks wounded by the animals, which embody Asian black bears and Ussuri brown bears, is 158 in fiscal 2020.