‘Exhaustion is reaching limits’: Japan sends troops to trap bears after deaths

South China Morning PostCenterEN 1 min read 100% complete by Julian RyallOctober 29, 2025 at 01:00 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Japan's Self-Defence Forces (SDF) are deploying to Akita prefecture in response to a growing number of bear attacks that have led to 10 fatalities this year, including two recent deaths reported on Monday. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi approved the deployment after requests from local authorities who declared a "crisis." The SDF will assist with logistical support such as setting up traps and transporting euthanized bears; however, they are not authorized to use firearms against the animals. Professional hunters will continue handling lethal measures if necessary.

Key Topics & Entities

Akita prefecture ×250% Shinjiro Koizumi 60% Japan ×480%

Keywords

bear attacks 90% troops deployment 80% fatalities increase 70% self-defence forces 70% crisis situation 70% bear traps 60% logistical support 60% professional hunters 60% northern region 50% euthanised bears 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center (0.10)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Japan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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bear attacks troops deployment fatalities increase self-defence forces crisis situation bear traps logistical support professional hunters northern region euthanised bears

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