Tokyo considers lifting hunting ban as bear encounters increase

Tokyo plans to allow bear hunting for the first time in 20 years due to increasing urban bear sightings. The city's previous ban aimed to prevent extinction, but rising bear populations and human encounters necessitate a policy review. Regulations require releasing accidentally caught animals, complicating management. Recent years have seen record numbers of human injuries and deaths from bear attacks, highlighting the inadequacy of current wildlife protection laws designed for a different era.