HYOGO - Hyogo Prefecture is warning of an increased risk of Asiatic black bears entering residential areas this autumn as a poor crop of acorns and other nuts leaves the animals searching more widely for food before hibernation.
Prefectural officials held a meeting on September 11 to discuss measures to prevent bear-related injuries and other damage as the animals enter a season of increased activity and the autumn travel season approaches.
Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito said surveys of this year's acorn crop indicate an overall poor harvest, raising the likelihood that bears will move into populated areas in search of food before hibernating.
"Surveys of this year's acorn crop show that overall it is a poor harvest, so we expect more cases of bears appearing in populated areas in search of acorns and other food before hibernation," Saito said.
Concern over bear encounters has also grown in neighboring Kyoto Prefecture.
Two Asiatic black bears believed to be a mother and cub appeared in Maizuru on September 3, startling residents after suddenly entering a residential area.
One resident said the cub had leapt over an obstacle, adding that the unexpected appearance had been frightening.
Authorities carried out Kyoto Prefecture's first emergency firearms cull, killing the bears.
Another bear sighting was subsequently reported in Maizuru, with a nearby resident saying a cub roughly the same size as the one seen previously had appeared. Authorities have yet to locate the animal.
Officials are urging greater caution as bears become more active in the weeks before hibernation and food shortages increase the possibility of encounters near homes and other populated areas.
Source: YOMIURI
