Japanese Town Grapples with Unprecedented Bear Encounters
Osaki, Japan, a town of 128,000 people known for its Naruko Onsen hot springs and traditional kokeshi dolls, experienced a surge in bear encounters this year, reflecting a nationwide trend driven by habitat loss and food scarcity. The increased bear activity disrupted daily life and prompted safety measures, highlighting the growing challenge of wildlife management in Japan's urban-rural interface, according to The Guardian.
The town, located in northeastern Japan, became a "bear hotspot" as the country reeled from a year of record bear encounters, The Guardian reported. The situation became so prominent that "bear" was selected as Japan's kanji character of the year earlier this month.
The rise in bear sightings in Osaki and other urban areas of Japan is attributed to bears venturing further in search of food. This issue underscores broader global concerns about human-animal conflict amid changing environmental conditions.
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