Japan has called in the military. Not for warfare or disaster relief, but for bears.
Yes, you read that correctly. For real bears.
Akita Prefecture in northern Japan is a place where inhabitants worry less about traffic and more about an uninvited 130-kilogram, black, furry guest coming to town for food. And given that the bear attacks kept increasing, the government said “Okay, enough is enough – time for the army.”
What the Troops Are Actually Doing
No, they are not busting through the forests with rifles like in an action movie. This is a much more practical (and slightly less dramatic) plan:
- Set-up food-baited box traps.
- Assist local hunters with access to rough terrain.
- Dispose of dead bear carcasses.
- Provide logistical assistance.
Essentially they are the muscle, leaving the guns out of this scenario.
What It Became Serious
This should be first and foremost at the top of the article, but hey, you requested chaos formatting.
Since April: bear attacks have resulted in:
- 12 dead,
- 100 plus injured.
And where the bears are being seen? Everywhere you don’t want them:
- Schools,
- Train stations,
- Supermarkets,
- Hot springs resort,
- Regular neighborhoods,
Some towns reported incidents nearly on a daily basis.
Residents of Kazuno are living in fear. Kazuno is a town with roughly 30,000 residents known for picturesque mountains, succulent apples, and renowned hot springs. The residents of Kazuno can’t enjoy the natural outdoors.
The town’s government had a warning to everyone for the last few summers:
- Avoid nearby forests
- Stay inside after dark
- Carry bells to scare away bears looking for food.
Cute, until you remember a full-grown Hokkaido brown bear can reach 400 kg.
That’s not a bear like Winnie the Pooh, that’s just a truck with claws.
Local officials are sounding the alarm.
Cabinet Deputy Secretary Fumitoshi Sato wasn’t shy with the villagers either:
“Bears enter resident areas every day and the impact is ever-increasing. It is urgent.”
Kazuno’s mayor, Shinji Sasamoto, conveyed that citizens do not feel safe on any given day. Akita’s governor, Kenta Suzuki, added that the local government can hardly keep up with manpower in rural areas populated by less people and now wildlife patrols too.
Japan’s Fourth Animal Mission Isn’t the First
Surprisingly, it is not the first time a country’s military has been recruited for animal control.
- About 10 years ago, the military helped monitor wild deer from the air
- In the 1960s, they assisted in the eradication of sea lions that were impacting fisheries
So yes, the military has a strange resume.
The Middle that Should Have Been the Beginning
The effort starts in Kazuno and will expand to Odate and Kitaakita in an official agreement until the end of the month. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the whole point is fairly simple: protect daily life.
Not heroism. Just helping people to live normally again.
