Japan has recorded a record seven deaths caused by bears this fiscal year, the environment ministry announced, surpassing the previous high of five in 2023–24.

Experts attribute the rise to food shortages, such as acorns, worsened by climate change, which has also altered bear hibernation patterns.

Most victims have been elderly, and more than 100 others have been injured by bites or claw attacks.

Recent fatalities include a man in his 70s found dead in Iwate on Oct. 8, whose head and torso were separated, and other men in their 70s discovered in Iwate and Nagano, though causes of death for the latter remain unconfirmed, CBS News has reported.

The trend highlights growing human-wildlife conflicts in Japan’s rural, aging communities.