Municipal governments gained the power on Monday to permit the shooting of wild bears in high-density housing areas under an amended law in a bid to prevent further bear-attack casualties.

The original wildlife protection and management law banned hunters from shooting bears in densely populated areas, except when they were ordered to do so by police to protect lives of residents.

To prevent a delay in responding to imminent danger posed by bears, the law was revised in April and put into effect Monday to allow municipal authorities directly ask licensed hunters to cull or capture bears on condition of ensuring the safety of affected communities by restricting traffic and evacuating residents there in cooperation with police.

Specifically, municipal governments are now expected to request hunters to shoot bears remaining inside buildings, at the side of rivers or in trees in urban areas, people familiar with the matter said, adding that any bullet-caused material losses will be compensated by those governments.

According to the Environment Ministry, bear attack casualties hit a record high of 219 in fiscal 2023, which ended in March 2024. Many bear cases have already been reported in various parts of the country so far this fiscal year.

The revised law also allows municipal governments to seek support from prefectural governments. But some regional governments and communities that are less experienced in dealing with urban bears may face a lack of manpower and expertise.

To help them develop human resources and acquire skills to cope with the dangerous animals, the ministry plans to hold training workshops and invite bear hunters and other professionals to teach there. In addition, it will assist local governments in increasing the number of bear-response staff.

Along with bears, boars have been newly designated as harmful wildlife that can be shot on a municipal government's decision.