Japanese officials are putting bounties on all bears after an extreme surge in deadly attacks

• Japan's had enough of a surge in bear attacks across the country this year.
• One region said it will subsidize bullets for hunting and reward hunters who capture bears.

Officials in Japan said they'll pay hunters for every bear they capture, in response to a surge in bear attacks in the northern Akita prefecture.

"We will financially support responsible hunters so that they can hunt many more bears," said Akita governor Norihisa Satake in a press conference on Monday, per a translation by Bloomberg.

Japan is experiencing its worst spate of bear attacks since government records began, with at least 167 people attacked in 2023 so far, according to national broadcaster NHK.

Bear sightings in urban areas have skyrocketed, and the number of attacks is rising even in the Greater Tokyo area, per the broadcaster.

Akita has been one of the hardest-hit regions, with at least 53 people injured in bear attacks in 2023, almost triple the number of victims last year, NHK reported.

In response, local officials are arranging to subsidize the cost of bullets for hunting clubs out of a $100,000 bear budget, per NHK.

If a hunter captures a bear, they'll earn a reward of 5,000 yen, or $33, meant to cover transportation costs, according to the outlet, citing Akita officials.

As governor of Akita, Satake has fiercely encouraged central government support for containing and eliminating the roaming bears.

He urged hunters on Monday to "shoot immediately" if they see a bear, though with a caveat that they shouldn't go overboard, per Asahi Shimbun.

Bears in Japan have increasingly entered urban areas over the last year in search of food as they prepare to hibernate, per NHK.

Maki Yamamoto, an associated professor specializing in wildlife management at Nagaoka University of Technology, told Bloomberg that the local bears have had a short supply this year of beech nuts, which they rely on for nutrition.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Environment Minister Shintaro Ito announced he would distribute emergency financial aid to several prefectures, including Akita and Hokkaido, where bear attacks have been particularly severe, per Yomiuri Shimbun.