This photo provided by the Ome Municipal Board of Education shows a sample of the bear bells to be distributed to students.
TACHIKAWA, Tokyo — The Ome Municipal Board of Education in Tokyo has decided to distribute bear bells to all students in the city’s public elementary and junior high schools in response to the increasing number of bear attacks across the country.
Distribution will begin with elementary schools in areas deemed high-risk for bear encounters.
Ome has a total of 28 municipal elementary and junior high schools, with 7,740 students enrolled. The education board will secure a total of 8,000 bear bells, including those to be distributed to students and those to be kept at each school. The purchase cost is estimated at around 3 million yen (roughly $193,000).
Areas near the mountains within the city are a particular concern for bear sightings. Therefore, the plan is to distribute the bells to elementary school students in these areas by the end of the year. Those in other areas and junior high school students will receive their bells by March next year.
Forests cover over 60% of Ome’s total area. Since the beginning of this year, there have been 43 reported sightings or traces of animals believed to be bears, even in residential areas and near school routes. A representative from the city’s education board said, “Our top priority was to ensure safety during students’ commutes and off-campus activities.”
(Japanese original by Koshi Ayukawa, Tama General Bureau)
AloJapan.com