In the year 2021, Japan witnessed a sharp rise in damages from bear attacks, with the cost of treatment surpassing 1 million yen. The increase is thought to be due to heightened human-wildlife encounters stemming from urban expansion into natural habitats. The authorities and concerned organizations are grappling to reconcile the need for development with the protection of wildlife and citizens' safety.

Bear attacks in Japan have profound social and environmental implications. As urban areas expand into natural habitats, clashes between humans and wildlife increase. The Japanese government and environmentalists are conciliexploring sustainable solutions to prevent these occurrences and mitigate their cost. Public interest is high, especially among rural communities who are most affected and city dwellers who fear similar incidents due to urban growth.

In the US and EU, similar instances of wildlife-human conflict occur, especially in areas where urbanization intrudes into wildlife habitats. The treatment of such issues tends to involve government intervention, wildlife and environmental organizations, and implementation of effective policies to reduce such encounters. The cost of medical treatment for wildlife attacks, however, tends to be absorbed by individual insurance plans, unlike in Japan.