Bears spotted 13,670 times in Japan in April-Sept., most since 2016

Bears were spotted 13,670 times in the wild across Japan between April and September, the most for the six-month period since 2016, the Environment Ministry said Monday.The tally was released following a recent spate of bear encounters by residents in Japan. Two women died in October as a result of bear attacks."The matter is drawing heightened public attention, and we need to work more closely to prevent harm," said Fumiko Nakao, chief of the ministry's wildlife section at a meeting of relevant government bodies, which also included the farm ministry and the National Police Agency.At the m…READ FULL ARTICLE