- Five people were hospitalised after a 22-year-old Vietnamese national, Huynh Nhat Duy, accidentally discharged anti-bear spray inside a post office in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday.
- Duy was subsequently arrested on Thursday on suspicion of obstruction of business, though he apologised and stated the discharge was unintentional, with eight people feeling unwell in total but no serious injuries reported.
- The incident underscores the increasing presence of bear deterrent products across Japan, prompted by an unprecedented surge in fatal bear attacks, with at least five deaths recorded since 1 April this year.
- Scientists attribute the rise in bear encounters and attacks to an increased bear population, a decline in rural inhabitants, and fluctuations in the animals' natural food sources, leading bears to venture more frequently into urban areas.
- In response to the growing threat, Japanese authorities are implementing measures such as installing over 800 cameras in northern mountains for a nationwide bear population survey and purchasing anti-bear sprays and deterrents for schools and communities.
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