Coverage dated November 4, 2025 to November 6, 2025
Facing a spike in deadly bear attacks, Japan turns to the military and drones that bark
Headline from KTVZ Bend, on the newest of 2 developments
By Jessie Yeung, Junko Ogura, CNN Tokyo (CNN) — When Japanese soldiers arrived in the northern prefecture of Akita on Thursday, they prepared to face a new kind of threat – one with fuzzy ears and up to 220 pounds of mass. This mountainous region is known for its lush forests, lakes and valleys
KTVZ Bend's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.
Developments in this update
2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.
Japan deploys troops to counter surge in bear attacks
Headline from Military Times ·
Newest
Facing a spike in deadly bear attacks, Japan turns to the military and drones that bark
Japan’s military deployed troops on Wednesday to the country’s northern prefecture of Akita in response to a surge of bear attacks killing at least a record 13 people this year.
The army began operating in Akita prefecture following a wave of deadly bear attacks. Twelve people have been killed and more than 100 attacks have been reported across Japan since April.
Reports of sometimes deadly encounters with brown bears and Asiatic black bears are being reported almost daily ahead of hibernation season as the bears forage for food.
Japan’s military deployed troops to the country’s mountainous north on Wednesday to help trap bears after an urgent request from local authorities struggling to cope with a wave of attacks.
Troops will set traps and assist local hunters but won't use firearms. Over 100 people have been injured and at least 12 killed in attacks since April.
By Jessie Yeung, Junko Ogura, CNN Tokyo (CNN) — When Japanese soldiers arrived in the northern prefecture of Akita on Thursday, they prepared to face a new kind of threat – one with fuzzy ears and up to 220 pounds of mass. This mountainous region is known for its lush forests, lakes and valleys
When Japanese soldiers arrived in the northern prefecture of Akita on Thursday, they prepared to face a new kind of threat – one with fuzzy ears and up to 220 pounds of mass.
