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A rock climber in Japan managed to fight off an angry bear while descending the rocky ridge of Mount Futago. The encounter was captured on the climber's GoPro and shared on YouTube in a video that has received over 800,000 views.
"I was attacked by a bear from behind while descending the rocky ridge of Mt. Futago in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan," the climber said in the video's description. "Instead of fear, I switched to the feeling that if it was coming, I had no choice but to face it."
Japan is home to two species of bear: the Asiatic black bear and the brown bear. It is likely that the attacker in the video was the former, as brown bears are found only on the island of Hokkaido. Asiatic black bears primarily live in hilly forests and mountains in East Asia and can weigh up to 440 pounds. They also have a reputation for being particularly aggressive toward humans.
"Looking back at the video, it seems that the bear attacked me to protect the cub," the climber said. "I invaded bear territory, but since they attacked me, I defended myself with self-defense."
Greg Lemon, a spokesperson from Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, explained why bears usually exhibit this sort of behavior. "Typically, things that can spur an aggressive response from a bear are a surprise encounter...or encountering a female bear with cubs at close range, or encountering a bear that is protecting food, like an animal carcass," he told Newsweek.
"Bears are more active this time of year, as they spend more time eating and looking for food in anticipation of winter, when they go into their dens," Lemon said.
As bears' activity increases, so does the likelihood that they will encounter humans. Fall often brings a rise in bear attacks, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported a nonfatal grizzly bear attack on October 12.
The department has clear advice on how to respond to a bear encounter. If a bear begins to approach, do not run away because you cannot outrun a bear. The best thing to do is stand your ground. If the bear is at a distance or shows agitated behavior, try talking to it calmly. If it continues to approach or follows you, stand your ground and appear aggressive, waving your arms and shouting vigorously.
The department also recommends carrying bear spray as an effective, nonlethal bear deterrent.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more