Tag - bears

 
 

BEARS

A bear sighting warning sign in a park at a residential area in the city of Hanamaki in Iwate Prefecture. Hanamaki has deployed along riverbanks artificial intelligence-equipped cameras that identify bears and alert city officials.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 13, 2024
Municipalities in Japan turn to AI and digital maps to prevent bear encounters
Akita Prefecture's online map consolidates reports of sightings and incidents while the city of Hanamaki in Iwate Prefecture has deployed cameras that identify bears.
Katsuko Kurikawa shows the damage done by bears to her chestnut tree.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Chugoku
Nov 4, 2024
Uptick in bear sightings prompts policy shift from conservation to control
Hunting the Asian black bear in the Western Chugoku Mountains has been banned in principle since 1994.
A record 219 people were attacked by bears across Japan in fiscal 2023.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 22, 2024
Hokkaido city deploys drones for bear management
The city of Nayoro will use drones — equipped with cameras and speakers — to locate bears when sightings are reported and help direct residents to safety.
A sign warning about the frequent appearance of bears in Tono, Iwate Prefecture, in April 2021
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2024
Japan moves to permit use of rifles to hunt bears in residential areas
Under a proposed legal revision, hunters would be allowed to fire rifles if there is a risk of human injury or a bear has entered a building.
There were a total of 219 victims of bear attacks in Japan in fiscal 2023, which resulted in six deaths, according to Environment Ministry statistics.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 26, 2024
Aomori woman, 80, killed by bear amid surge of attacks nationwide
She was foraging for bamboo shoots in the mountains when she was attacked by what local officials have determined to be an adult Asian black bear.
Hjelmer Hammeken, Greenland's greatest polar bear hunter, rides his dog sled to look for seals on the sea ice outside Ittoqqortoormiit, on the frozen Scoresbysund Fjord.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 19, 2024
On thin ice: Greenland's last Inuit polar bear hunters
Climate change and hunting quotas have been threatening the livelihood on which Inuit families have long survived.
Fans cheer after Japan's men's volleyball team qualified for the Paris Olympics on Oct. 7 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.
MORE SPORTS / Volleyball
Jun 4, 2024
Japanese volleyball’s fastest growing fan base — female superfans
More than 80% of the fans at men’s domestic competitions are said to be women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
The Gunma Prefectural Police said an elderly couple was attacked by a bear at their home in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture, on Friday.
JAPAN
May 31, 2024
Bear enters Gunma home and attacks elderly couple
The couple were sleeping on the first floor of a two-story house when one of them heard a noise outside and opened a window to investigate.
The entrance to Maruyama Park, one of Sapporo's most popular parks for summer recreation. The Maruyama Park area is part of a designated region where Sapporo plans tougher bear countermeasures, including the possible use of bear traps.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
May 27, 2024
From coexistence to separation: Sapporo's battle with bears
An increasing number of bears in Hokkaido is forcing the prefectural capital to change its strategy for dealing with the animals.
Caleb Williams poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft in Detroit on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 26, 2024
Bears take Caleb Williams with No. 1 pick to start QB rush at NFL draft
Five quarterbacks went in the first 10 picks with no defensive players selected.
Black bears have been added to the list of "designated wildlife species for control" by the Environment Ministry.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2024
Japan adds black and brown bears to subsidized hunting list
The government is stepping up the control measures as bear attacks on humans hit a record high in fiscal 2023 that ended in March.
Wildlife researcher Amelia Hiorns says Japan's bears feel the pressure of human presence and have learned that encountering us is not worth their time.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Mar 30, 2024
Amelia Hiorns: 'Guiding and introducing people to Japan's nature has been rewarding'
Wildlife researcher Amelia Hiorns shares how separate interests in Japan and in bears culminated in conservation work in the mountains of Nagano.
A wild bear spotted in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, in October 2022
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2024
Japan to bolster measures against bears waking up from hibernation
Each prefecture will be given ¥3 million to ¥5 million in financial resources to help with the measures.
A Tokaido Shinkansen Line bullet train
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 2, 2023
Tokaido Shinkansen train halted after apparent bear spray release
At least five passengers fell ill as the bullet train was halted at JR Hamamatsu Station in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff looks to pass against the Bears at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Nov 20, 2023
Lions use late rally to edge Bears
Jared Goff overcame a shaky start to lead the Detroit Lions to a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Chicago Bears
Bears doing yoga? If you’re in the city, why not?
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 16, 2023
Bear goes the neighborhood? Japanese wildlife is on the move.
This week, Alex K.T. Martin joins us to discuss why people are encountering bears, boars and other wildlife in the most unlikely of places.
If you spot a wild animal in the city, it's likely lost. Still, alert authorities immediately to prevent any unpleasantness.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Longform
Nov 13, 2023
The concrete forest: Bears, boars and more head to the cities
Warmer winters, less food and an aging society all play a part in why wild animals are increasingly venturing into human-populated areas.
A bear waits for passing cars that might provide food, on a road in Covasna, Romania.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Oct 23, 2023
Keep or cull? Romania divided over its bear population
In Romania, bear attacks are on the rise as the creatures venture out looking for food, often brought by tourists or left in unsecured garbage cans.
In residential areas, bears are said to be attracted to compost waste, persimmons and chestnuts.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 20, 2023
Bear attacks on the rise in Akita and Iwate due to lack of food
According to Akita Prefecture, a record 39 people were attacked from April through Oct. 11.
Bear-caused deaths and injuries have been increasing and it is necessary for hikers to take precaution measures.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2023
Japanese officials warn mountain hikers of bear attacks this fall
Bear-caused deaths and injuries have been increasing, prompting the government to warn hikers to take precautionary measures.

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