Japan deployed troops to the country’s rugged north on Wednesday to help trap bears after local authorities said besieged communities were struggling to cope with an unprecedented wave of attacks.
The operation began in Kazuno, a small town nestled among forested mountains that has seen a sharp rise in bear sightings. For weeks, residents have been urged to avoid the thick woods and stay indoors after dark to keep clear of bears foraging near homes for food.
There have been more than 100 bear attacks with a record 12 people killed across Japan since April, according to the Ministry of the Environment.