The Japanese police are authorized to shoot bears from this Thursday, November 13th, following several attacks by those animals on the population that have already killed 13 people in the prefectures of Iwate and Akita, where several anti-riot officers who have received specialized training were sent.
The situation is quite worrying, as bears have invaded homes, schools and supermarkets in those northern regions of Japan, where attacks have been recorded almost daily.
However, authorities in the regions of Iwate and Akita told the AFP agency that the weapons made available to police officers to kill bears are not powerful enough, and therefore defend the need for an amendment to be made to the weapons law in the country so that more powerful weapons can be used in these cases.
Even so, two teams of elite snipers were formed whose priority is to protect the population and only kill the animal if necessary.
Since April, at least 13 people have died due to bear attacks, which represents the highest number ever in such a short time.
Just this month, a 50-year-old man was hospitalized in Fukushima Prefecture after being attacked by a bear. According to local police, the victim suffered cuts to the back of his head in the city of Aizubange, having been saved because he managed to hide in a house.
In October, another man died while cleaning an outdoor bathtub at a hot spring resort in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture.
Since the beginning of November, Japan has sent military personnel to the north of Akita Prefecture to try to contain an increase in these deadly bear attacks, as sightings of these animals have increased, which already numbered more than 8,000 this year alone.
Experts revealed that the Asian black bear population has tripled since 2012 due to hunting restrictions and milder winters.