On Friday, Japan's cabinet approved a bill allowing hunters to shoot bears at will in residential areas. RFI reports that the number of clashes between people and animals has recently reached a record high.
In 2024, bears attacked 219 people, six of whom died. This is the highest figure in the past two decades.
Currently, hunting bears and wild boars in residential areas is prohibited. Even when bears appear in residential areas, hunters are prohibited from shooting without police permission.
"In such cases, the police can only issue such an order in extremely dire situations, for example, when a person is only seconds away from an attack," a ministry spokesman said.
