People living in rural Japan are having to get creative to scare off bears. That's as the country sees attacks rising in populated areas and its few remaining hunters age out of the job.
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00:00This so-called monster wolf is doing a job that hunters used to do.
00:06Powered by solar energy, it emits howls and growls that can be heard from about a kilometer away
00:12for the purpose of keeping away bears.
00:31Bear encounters are on the rise in Japan,
00:35with the animals increasingly spotted close to where people live.
00:39Official statistics show hunters trapped or culled at least 9,000 bears between March 2023 and 2024.
00:46In the same period, over 200 people were attacked by bears,
00:50with six of these attacks ending in death.
00:53Ecologists say the spike in encounters stems from climate change,
00:57which has changed bears' habitats and prompted them to raid farmers' fields.
01:02The problem has been exacerbated by the rapid depopulation of rural regions.
01:18Hunters that used to be tasked with trapping and culling bears near human settlements
01:22face challenges such as high costs, an aging workforce, and limited government support.
01:27With 60% of gun license holders over the age of 60, a future hunter shortage looms.
01:33Many criticize authorities for inadequate training programs,
01:37and the US$50 on offer for each bear dealt with offers little incentive to join the field.
01:5384-year-old Harada Katsuo, who lost an eye in a bear encounter two decades ago,
01:58describes what it's like to find yourself on the wrong side of a bear.
02:15Harada is currently part of a non-profit organization
02:19that helps keep problematic wildlife away from rural communities and prevents bear attacks.
02:28While technology has begun to help control the threat posed by Japan's bear population,
02:33it remains unclear whether the country will be able to replace hunters.
02:37And as it's fall, bears are extra hungry,
02:40and looking to put on some weight before hibernating for the winter.
02:44All this means that for the time being,
02:46those living near Japan's wild places may just have to grin and bear it.
02:50John Su, Sandy Chee, and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.