"Bears Make Breaking News Headlines... Summer Bear Warning in Japan [Sunday Culture]"

Frequent Bear Attacks Centered in Hokkaido, Including Fatalities
Golf Tournament Held Without Spectators After Bear Sighting
Hotter Weather Drives Bears Into Residential Areas...
Bears Become Accustomed to Urban Environments and Venture Down

What would you do if you suddenly encountered a bear? Would you pretend to be dead or try to run away? It can be difficult to decide in the moment. Such incidents are rare in daily life and are not often reported in the news in Korea. However, recently in Japan, bear-related news has been reported daily, including a women’s golf tournament that was held without spectators due to bear sightings. Today, we bring you news from Japan, where a summer bear warning has been issued.

On July 12 in Hokkaido, Japan, a man in his 50s delivering newspapers was attacked and killed by a bear. According to witnesses, they heard shouting outside their house at dawn and went out to find a bear attacking a person. Even though they tried to scare the bear away with loud noises, the bear did not leave. While they were reporting to the police that "a bear is attacking a person," the bear dragged the man away. The police who arrived on the scene searched the area and found the man in his 50s lying in a state of cardiac arrest in nearby bushes. The newspaper delivery man’s cause of death was hemorrhagic shock resulting from the bear attack.

The incident caused even more shock because the attack happened in a typical residential area, surrounded by houses and a nursing home. The bear that carried out the attack left the scene and could not be found. In response, Hokkaido issued a "bear alert" for the area, urging residents to refrain from going outside in the early morning or at night, and to avoid putting out food waste.

A bear suspected of attacking a man delivering newspapers on the 12th was captured on CCTV. NHK.

In Hokkaido, bear sightings and incidents occur every year, especially during this season. Local media report "bear breaking news" at this time. Just as they put "breaking news" in parentheses at the beginning of headlines, they add "bear breaking news (ヒグマ速報)" to quickly report sightings or incidents involving bears. For example, they might report that a man in his 60s in a certain village saw a bear through his living room window at 2 p.m., no damage has been reported yet, and the police have decided to step up patrols.

These are not the only civilian casualties caused by bears. On July 4 in Iwate Prefecture, a bear attacked a private home and killed a woman in her 80s. Then, on July 15 in Nara Prefecture, a woman in her 80s was attacked in the face by a cub that entered her house while she was hanging laundry, and was taken to the hospital.

Breaking news about bears in the Yahoo Japan News category. Yahoo Japan.

Because of these incidents, even a bear sighting puts the entire area on high alert. The Japan Women’s Golf Tournament, which was scheduled to be held in Miyagi Prefecture on July 17, had to switch to a no-spectator format after a bear was spotted the day before.

So, why do these incidents keep happening? Japanese media analyzed the causes through interviews with professors. One reason is the much hotter summer temperatures. As summer temperatures rise, grass dries up and food becomes scarce in the mountains, causing some bears to come down to villages near human settlements in search of food.

As a result, since two years ago, more bears with cubs have been coming down to residential areas. It has also become common for bear cubs to eat livestock feed or food found on the streets during the summer. It is said that July is when these cubs, having become accustomed to humans, leave their parents and become independent adults. As these independent bears naturally come down to villages, and because bears have a strong attachment to the food they hunt, the number of attacks has increased.

Bear found in Shiretoko, Hokkaido. Shiretoko Nature Foundation.

Yamauchi Kiyoshi, a professor at Iwate University, explained in a media interview, "Bear cubs now consider the area around villages as part of their habitat, and they are very insensitive to human noise or car sounds, so they do not think of humans as something to fear. Instead, they have learned that there is something tasty inside buildings and that breaking in will lead to food."

It seems that the problem has arisen because climate change is gradually reducing the areas where bears can live in the summer, while human living spaces are expanding.

So, what should you do if you encounter a bear? The best option is to leave quietly without being noticed. However, if the bear approaches, it is likely that it does not realize you are a human. In that case, you should climb a rock or tree and wave your arms widely to make it aware that you are a human.

Defensive posture to take when attacked by a bear. Shiretoko Nature Foundation.

Even if the bear gets closer, running away or shouting loudly may startle the bear and provoke a defensive attack. It is best to keep your eyes on the bear and slowly increase the distance between you and the animal. There is also bear repellent spray, but it is most effective only when the bear charges at you and is within 3 to 4 meters.

In the case of a bear cub, the mother is always nearby. If you approach a cub because it looks cute, there is a high chance the mother will charge at you, so you should never approach. If you are attacked, you should lie face down to protect your face and abdomen, and clasp your hands together behind your neck to take a defensive posture.