Japan is at war. Not literally. But kind of.Japan has essentially declared war on bears, Reuters reports. On Wednesday, the country’s Self-Defense Forces were deployed into the mountain town of Kazuno in the Akita Prefecture, strapped to the gills with body armor and bear traps to help deal with an unprecedented surge in bear attacks terrorizing northern communities.Since April, more than 100 people have been mauled by bears, resulting in 12 fatalities. That’s the highest that number has been in decades. Akita and the nearby Iwate prefectures account for most of the deaths. Authorities say bear sightings in Akita have skyrocketed sixfold this year to more than 8,000, prompting the prefecture’s governor to call in the troops for backup.Taking matters into their own hands, residents have been blasting radios to scare off wandering bears as they lock themselves indoors.Japan Is Deploying the Military to Counter a Surge in Bear AttacksTroops aren’t being sent in to combat, necessarily. They’re setting up steel-barred traps. Captured bears will be handed over to professional hunters to finish the job. The soldiers are going in armed with bear spray and a bayonet-like pole as they hunker down for a deployment that will last at least through November.This struggle between humans and bears reached a fevered pitch in recent weeks, as bears have stormed supermarkets, mauled tourists at bus stops, and attacked workers at hot Springs resorts. Schools were even forced to shut down after bears were spotted roaming the premises.Many factors at play are pushing bears into parts of human life they usually don’t explore. Shrinking populations have left rural areas more open than ever before, and climate change has disrupted natural food sources, forcing bears to venture into areas that they usually wouldn’t have in search of a meal. Japan’s hunters once helped mitigate population growth, but many in the hunting community have aged out, and their numbers are dwindling. Tokyo is rolling out emergency measures, such as loosening gun restrictions, and actively recruiting more licensed hunters.The post Japan Just Deployed Troops to Deal With a Surge in Bear Attacks appeared first on VICE.