Bears Appearing in Residential Areas: When Firing Shots, Residents’ Safety Must Be Prioritized

Editorial

15:40 JST, May 7, 2025

There is no end to cases of bears appearing in residential areas and causing harm to people. If there is no choice but to allow hunters to fire shots, they need to pay careful attention to ensuring the safety of residents to prevent harm to them.

The revised wildlife protection and hunting law has been enacted to allow hunters to use guns to kill bears and wild boars that appear in residential areas, deeming them to be “dangerous wildlife.” The revised law allows hunters to fire their guns at the discretion of the mayor of the municipality when such animals appear in or around houses and pose a risk of harm to people.

In fiscal 2023, a record 219 people were injured by bears, six of them fatally. Of these, six were fatal. This is because population decline has affected satoyama (areas such as managed forests near human settlements), which provided distance between living areas for people and those for bears, making it easier for bears to get close to people’s living areas.

Until now, the firing of hunting rifles in residential areas has been prohibited in principle, except for special cases such as when ordered by police officers. As a result, there have been cases of hunters being attacked and injured by bears at locations near houses because they were not allowed to fire their guns. Therefore, there have been calls for the requirements for firing shots to be relaxed.

To protect the lives of residents and hunters, firing guns in residential areas is inevitable. However, it goes without saying that ensuring the safety of residents is a prerequisite. It is desirable to apply the requirements in a restrained manner as much as possible.

When a bear appears in a residential area, municipal government officials and police officers are supposed to rush to the scene together with hunters. In such a case, the mayor of the municipality authorizes and is responsible for firing shots.

If stray bullets strike a home or other property, the municipal government is supposed to compensate for the damage. The key point will be under what circumstances firing will be authorized.

The central government intends to compile guidelines on the decision to fire and safety measures. Clear and specific criteria should be provided.

Many municipalities do not have staff members with the knowledge of measures against bears to help mayors make decisions to fire. Support from the central government is essential for developing human resources through such means as training sessions. An emergency support system provided by prefectural governments is also required.

In Hokkaido in 2018, a hunter shot a bear to death near a house in the presence of a police officer, following the request of a local government. However, the Hokkaido Prefectural Public Safety Commission revoked the hunter’s permission to possess a hunting rifle, citing the danger of bullets reaching nearby houses. The case has developed into a lawsuit.

Efforts must be made to prevent such confusion from occurring.

Some people who are against shooting bears criticize local governments and hunters, saying that it is cruel for the animals. It is hoped that society as a whole will deepen the understanding that firing shots is inevitable to protect human lives.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 7, 2025)