Japanese school teaches children how to stay safe around wild bears
Students at Ina West Elementary School in Japan's Nagano Prefecture participate in a bear awareness program held every two years to learn safety measures.
Ina West Elementary School in Japan's Nagano Prefecture holds a special bear awareness program every two years to educate children on how to behave around wild bears. During the lessons, pupils get to examine real bear fur, skulls, and paws while wildlife experts explain the animals' behavior, diet, and why they sometimes venture into human settlements.
Children learn that bears can lose their fear of people after feeding on human waste. This knowledge is crucial in Ina, where bear sightings are common. The school has implemented safety measures, including asking parents to drive children to school and using special buses when bears are repeatedly spotted nearby.
The program comes amid a rise in bear attacks in northern Japan, where at least five people have died since April. However, no fatalities have been reported in Nagano Prefecture.
