Japan captured 14,000 bears last fiscal year, over 99% culled
According to statistics from Japan's Ministry of the Environment, bear sightings in fiscal year 2025 reached a record high of 50,776 cases, and over 99% of the 14,720 captured bears were culled. Human casualties due to bear attacks also hit a record high of 238 people, with 13 fatalities, prompting calls for public awareness in affected areas.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 17:03
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- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 23:08 (5h 35m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Tokyo, 12th, comprehensive foreign news report) Preliminary statistics released yesterday by Japan's Ministry of the Environment show that the number of bear sightings in fiscal year 2025 reached a record high of 50,776 cases since statistics began in fiscal year 2009; the number of bears captured in the same fiscal year was 14,720, a record high since the current compilation method was implemented in fiscal year 2006.
Yomiuri Shimbun and Kyodo News reported that before this, the highest record for bear sightings was 24,348 cases in fiscal year 2023, but in fiscal year 2025, from April 1, 2025, to March 31 of this year, this number more than doubled compared to fiscal year 2023.
From a regional perspective, the top six areas with the most bear sightings in fiscal year 2025 were Akita Prefecture with 13,592 cases, Iwate Prefecture with 9,739 cases, Miyagi Prefecture with 3,559 cases, Niigata Prefecture with 3,258 cases, Aomori Prefecture with 3,334 cases, and Yamagata Prefecture with 3,125 cases.
In addition, the number of bears captured in Japan in fiscal year 2025 surged to nearly three times that of fiscal year 2024. Of the 14,720 captured bears, over 99%, or 14,601 bears, were culled.
The above statistics do not include Hokkaido, for which data has not been released, and Okinawa Prefecture, where bears do not inhabit.
The Ministry of the Environment announced in April this year that 238 people were attacked by bears in fiscal year 2025, with 13 fatalities, both setting new records for casualties and deaths.
In fiscal year 2026, which began on April 1 this year, a woman was killed by a bear in Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, in April.
A person in charge of related operations at the Ministry of the Environment called for people in areas with many bear sightings to pay attention to messages released by local governments.
Iwate Broadcasting (IBC) reported that after the incident in Shiwa Town mentioned above, a second case of a person being killed by a bear attack occurred in Iwate Prefecture recently this month.
A 69-year-old woman in Iwate Prefecture told her family on the 6th of this month that she was going to pick wild vegetables, and then went missing. She was found dead in a mountainous area on the 7th.
The police stated that the cause of death was hemorrhagic shock, and there were traces on the victim's head and face that looked like scratches from a wild beast, so it is presumed that the woman was likely killed by a bear attack. (Compiler: Yang Wei-ching) 1150512
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(Central News Agency, Tokyo, 12th, comprehensive foreign news report) Preliminary statistics released yesterday by Japan's Ministry of the Environment show that the number of bear sightings in fiscal year 2025 reached a record high of 50,776 cases since statistics began in fiscal year 2009; the number of bears captured in the same fiscal year was 14,720, a record high since the current compilation method was implemented in fiscal year 2006.
Yomiuri Shimbun and Kyodo News reported that before this, the highest record for bear sightings was 24,348 cases in fiscal year 2023, but in fiscal year 2025, from April 1, 2025, to March 31 of this year, this number more than doubled compared to fiscal year 2023.
From a regional perspective, the top six areas with the most bear sightings in fiscal year 2025 were Akita Prefecture with 13,592 cases, Iwate Prefecture with 9,739 cases, Miyagi Prefecture with 3,559 cases, Niigata Prefecture with 3,258 cases, Aomori Prefecture with 3,334 cases, and Yamagata Prefecture with 3,125 cases.
In addition, the number of bears captured in Japan in fiscal year 2025 surged to nearly three times that of fiscal year 2024. Of the 14,720 captured bears, over 99%, or 14,601 bears, were culled.
The above statistics do not include Hokkaido, for which data has not been released, and Okinawa Prefecture, where bears do not inhabit.
The Ministry of the Environment announced in April this year that 238 people were attacked by bears in fiscal year 2025, with 13 fatalities, both setting new records for casualties and deaths.
In fiscal year 2026, which began on April 1 this year, a woman was killed by a bear in Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, in April.
A person in charge of related operations at the Ministry of the Environment called for people in areas with many bear sightings to pay attention to messages released by local governments.
Iwate Broadcasting (IBC) reported that after the incident in Shiwa Town mentioned above, a second case of a person being killed by a bear attack occurred in Iwate Prefecture recently this month.
A 69-year-old woman in Iwate Prefecture told her family on the 6th of this month that she was going to pick wild vegetables, and then went missing. She was found dead in a mountainous area on the 7th.
The police stated that the cause of death was hemorrhagic shock, and there were traces on the victim's head and face that looked like scratches from a wild beast, so it is presumed that the woman was likely killed by a bear attack. (Compiler: Yang Wei-ching) 1150512
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.