The Great Japanese Bear Slaughter

In Japan "between April and November last year 4,251 black bears - between 30 and 50% of the total population - were killed because they were considered a threat to human safety and crops, the environment ministry said" (source). The fact that bear gall bladder and bile is in high demand for Chinese medicine makes me wonder how much of a threat they actually are.

On top of that, this winter has been so mild that bears are having a hard time being able to hibernate; they are making their way into populated areas and even more are being killed.

We'll be sure to make plenty of noise tomorrow on our hike to avoid encountering any shell-shocked, sleep-deprived bears.

Photo: J-Hob