Five people were hospitalized in Japan after a man accidentally set off bear spray at a post office on Wednesday, officials and media said, amid rising plantigrade attacks in the country.
• Also read: Japan: Dozens of schools closed due to bear reports
• Also read: Bear injures four people in Japan
According to local media, a 22-year-old Vietnamese national apologized and told police he triggered the repellent spray unintentionally during the incident in the central city of Nagoya on Wednesday.
The man, identified as Huynh Nhat Duy, was nevertheless arrested Thursday on suspicion of obstructing commercial activities, a local police spokesperson told AFP.
“Eight people were unwell, and five of them were taken to hospital. But no cases of serious injury or illness have been reported,” a fire official in Nagoya told AFP.
At least five people have been killed by bears in Japan since April 1, following a record 13 deaths the previous year.
This week, authorities said they were investigating a possible sixth death after the body of a man with bite marks was discovered in a mountainous area in the north of the archipelago.
According to statistics kept by the Ministry of the Environment since 2018, this is the first time that more than two deaths have been recorded over the period from April to June.
Scientists attribute the sharp increase in incidents to the rise in the bear population and the decline in the number of residents in rural areas.
The authorities recommend not going alone into the mountains, which cover around 80% of Japan’s territory, to attach a bell to your bag and to carry bear spray.
These sprays, sold at outdoor equipment stores, contain capsaicin – the chemical component of hot peppers – and cause a burning and irritating sensation.
Animals are also increasingly venturing into towns and cities.
In June, dozens of police, hunters and municipal officials took four days to capture a stray bear in Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, leading to mass school closures.
