**Why Bears Are Massively Approaching Humans** The main reason for the animals' aggression has been the acute shortage of familiar food in the wild. Due to climate anomalies and extreme heat in the mountainous forest areas, the harvest of beech nuts, acorns, and wild berries has significantly decreased. To build up fat before hibernation, hungry bears are forced to descend to the foothills and enter populated areas. The situation is exacerbated by the abandonment of Japanese villages: neglected orchards with unharvested fruits become a lure for forest guests. **How Residents Protect Themselves from Forest Guests** The fears of citizens have changed the usual way of life in the provinces and tourist centers. Warning posters have appeared on city streets, and farmers have begun to install robotic wolves with glowing red eyes at the borders of their fields. In the Karuizawa resort area, ecologists are using Karelian bear dogs to scare away the animals. Business owners and insurance companies have even developed special policies in case of property damage by wild animals. **Is Mass Culling of Predators Effective?** The government has relaxed hunting regulations and allowed traps to be set near residential areas; however, ecologists doubt the correctness of such harsh measures. Environmental defenders note that Himalayan black bears are endangered, and total extermination could destroy rare populations. Moreover, statistics show that aggressive culling does not stop incidents, as animals continue to seek food near human dwellings. **How Experts Propose to Solve the Problem** Biologists believe that Japan should abandon the practice of mass extermination and move towards systemic protective measures. Specialists suggest caring for abandoned orchards, installing protective barriers around settlements, and even temporarily feeding animals deep in the mountains during poor harvest years. According to experts, only a combination of targeted capture of aggressive individuals and the restoration of forest feeding resources will help restore a safe coexistence between humans and wildlife.
