牛６６頭襲った「忍者グマ」駆除　北海道

【東京ＡＦＰ＝時事】北海道で少なくとも６６頭の乳牛を襲ったヒグマ「ＯＳＯ（オソ）１８」がハンターに駆除されていたことが分かった。北海道庁が２２日、明らかにした。（写真は北海道・標茶町で撮影された「ＯＳＯ〈オソ〉１８」とみられるヒグマ。標茶町提供）
　オソ１８が北海道東部で家畜を襲い始めたとみられるのは２０１９年。なかなか捕まらないことから「忍者グマ」の異名を取り、テレビのドキュメンタリー番組など、たびたびメディアに取り上げられていた。
　襲われた乳牛６６頭のうち死んだのは半数のみで、獲物を食べない習性に専門家は頭を悩ませていた。何年も捕獲や駆除を逃れていたが、７月３０日に射殺された。
　北海道庁の武田忠義氏は２２日、ＡＦＰに対し、７月３０日に駆除され、ＤＮＡ鑑定を含め、さまざまな分析の結果、オソ１８と確認されたと説明。地元住民はこの知らせに胸をなで下ろしているはずだと語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/08/23-17:11）

Hunters in Japan's remote north have killed an elusive and infamous brown bear nicknamed Ninja that attacked at least 66 cows, officials said Tuesday.
The exploits of OSO18, as the bear was named, attracted considerable news coverage including dramatic television documentaries.
The animal is believed to have started attacking livestock in 2019 in eastern areas of Hokkaido, Japan's sparsely populated main northern island.
Its habit of not eating the dairy cows that it attacked -- only half of its 66 victims died -- confused experts, and it eluded years of efforts to capture or kill it.
Late last month, the bear was shot dead.
A brown bear was hunted on July 30, and various analyses, including DNA testing, resulted in a confirmation that it was OSO18, Tadayoshi Takeda, an official with the Hokkaido regional government, told AFP on Tuesday.
I am sure local residents are relieved to hear this news, he said.
Brown bears in Japan only live in Hokkaido where their population is estimated at almost 12,000 but growing, causing increasing problems as they come into contact with humans.
In 2021 four people were killed in incidents involving bears and 10 were injured -- a record number.
Brown bears were also blamed for around $2 million worth of damage to crops, the highest on record.