An 82-year-old woman survived a bear attack in northern Japan, the latest in a string of such incidents across the country.
What's happening?
In early October, a security camera in Daisen, a town in the Akita Prefecture of northern Japan, captured the horrifying attack.
The video, shared on TikTok by CNA (@channelnewsasia), shows a bear running up behind the woman, jumping just past her, and clawing at her face. Understandably, the woman screams in terror and tries to get away, but the bear goes after her again.
@channelnewsasia An 82-year-old woman in northern Japan was attacked by a bear during her morning walk on Wednesday (Oct 8). Security footage showed the bear ambushing her from behind in a residential area of Daisen, Akita Prefecture. Recent days have seen several bear attacks across the country, including one in central Japan where a bear injured two men in a supermarket on Tuesday and another on Sunday when a Spanish tourist was attacked at a popular sightseeing spot. #japan #japannews
♬ original sound - CNA
Fortunately, a car pulled up and the woman was able to get in before getting seriously hurt. According to CNA, she was taken to the hospital with scratches on her face.
"This could have ended so horrific," one TikTok commenter wrote. "It's a good thing it was a street that people drove on."
CNA also reported that this was at least the third bear attack in Japan over the course of just a few days.
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Why is the bear attack concerning?
As Phys.org shared, seven people have died this year in Japan from bear attacks, the highest number since officials started keeping track nearly 20 years ago. At least 108 people have been injured across the country in such attacks since April.
Sadly, encounters like this have become more common around the globe.
Another video captured a bear attacking a Florida homeowner in his front yard, and a Canadian man needed surgery after he and his wife were attacked by a pair of grizzlies along the Kootenay River.
The exact reasons for each attack are hard to pinpoint, but in general, experts believe the rise in animal attacks is due to a number of human-caused factors.
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Yes — everywhere 👏 Urban sprawl and development have forced wildlife out of its natural habitat and into unfamiliar places, like neighborhoods. Meanwhile, heat-trapping pollution has caused global temperatures to rise, which has exacerbated extreme weather events, such as droughts.
This has caused a change to many animals' habitats and food supplies, all of which can leave wildlife feeling scared, vulnerable, and ready to lash out.
What can be done to stay safe?
The National Park Service offers several tips on how to stay safe around bears. First, not surprisingly, is to pay attention to your surroundings and keep your distance as much as possible.
Knowing what type of bear you've encountered is crucial in case the animal attacks.
If a black bear charges you, the NPS urges you to fight back with any means possible. If it is a grizzly or brown bear, however, the agency says to cover your head and neck with your arms and to play dead.
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