TOKYO, Dec 5 (Bernama-Kyodo) — A record of 230 people were attacked by bears in Japan between April and November this year, preliminary government data showed Friday, Kyodo News Agency reported.
The figure for the first eight months of fiscal 2025 has already surpassed the 219 people attacked from April 2023 to the following March (March 2024), which was the previous high since records were first kept in fiscal 2006, according to the Environment Ministry.
Akita Prefecture had the most victims, with 66, followed by Iwate and Fukushima, with 37 and 24, respectively.
In November alone, 33 people were victims of bear attacks, including one who died.
As of Nov 20, the number of deaths by bear attacks nationwide was also at a record high of 13.
The Japanese government has been ramping up measures to respond to the recent surge in bear attacks on humans.
— BERNAMA-KYODO