Bears closing in on Hiroshima City
Human-bear interactions are on the increase in the north of Japan and sightings are being reported here in the Hiroshima region too on an almost daily basis.
Japanese media has been full of reports of increased bear activity near populated areas, and a spate of sometimes fatal “interactions” with humans, mostly in north of the country.
Activity is also on increase in the Hiroshima region.
Reports of bear sightings are coming in almost every day in Hiroshima City. The city has received 105 reports so far this since April this year, with 40 reports in the last month alone.
Bear tracks have been found in Tomonishi and Yagi in Asaminami-ku this month, while a bear was caught in a trap the day after claw marks and droppings were found at persimmon tree behind a house in Ato in Numata. The caged bear measured 1.5 meters in length and weighed 64 kg was destroyed by officials the same day.
Around the same time a bear was seen scaling a roadside fence in Kawanishi in Kitahiroshima.
Most sighting so far have been in rather rural areas, but yesterday morning, a bear of about 1 meter in length was spotted near a main road in Kamiyasu, on the outskirts of central Hiroshima.
Bear activity is expected to increase further over the next month or so, as the animals attempt to stock up before going into winter hibernation.
While the number of sightings is said to be roughly the same as in previous years, in light of the growing number of human injuries nationwide, the mayor of Hiroshima has is reported to be planning to increasing the number of cages to capture bears.
