The government said Thursday that it will renew by mid-November measures to deal with the rising number of bear attacks nationwide — 12 fatal since April — as more bears are seen roaming around residential areas in the north of the country.
The ministers of environment, education, agriculture, internal affairs, transport and defense and the National Public Safety Commission attended a government meeting on the day to discuss countermeasures for the animal.
“An increasing number of bears have been entering residential areas in many regions this year … leading to a rise in the number of casualties, with more diversity in the extent of damage and across a wider area,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Thursday. “This is a serious situation that threatens the safety and security of the public.”