Japan sends troops to country’s north to combat bear attacks

Japan’s military deployed troops to the country’s mountainous north on Wednesday to help trap bears after an urgent request from local authorities struggling to cope with a wave of attacks, Reuters writes.

The operation began in the town of Kazuno, where residents for weeks have been told to avoid the thick forests that surround it, stay home after dark and carry bells to deter bears that might forage near their homes for food.

There have been more than 100 bear attacks with a record 12 people killed across Japan in the year since April, according to the environment ministry. Two-thirds of those deaths were in Akita prefecture, where Kazuno is located, and nearby Iwate.

Authorities in Akita say bear sightings have jumped six-fold this year to more than 8,000.