Japan has deployed troops to Akita Prefecture to help manage a surge in bear attacks, which have injured over 100 people and killed at least 12 since April.

Both brown bears and Asiatic black bears have been increasingly seen near schools, train stations, supermarkets, and hot springs as they forage ahead of hibernation.

The operation involves soldiers setting up food-lured box traps, transporting local hunters, and helping dispose of dead bears, but they will not use firearms.

The bear population, estimated at over 54,000, is encroaching on residential areas in a region with a rapidly aging and declining human population, the Associated Press has reported.

Officials say the mission is urgent to protect residents’ daily lives, though the Self-Defense Forces cannot provide unlimited support due to staffing constraints.