Wednesday 05/November/2025 – 05:31 AM
A Japanese company announced the development of a new bear repellent spray, with the aim of reducing these incidents and achieving safer coexistence between humans and animals.
Japan is developing a new spray to repel bears after an increase in attacks
According to the Japanese news agency GG Press, Yu Okutani, head of the planning and marketing department in the Tokyo office of Bioscience, a company specializing in the production of animal medicines, led a team to design this spray in Tokushima Prefecture, west of the country.
Okutani, 40, explained that he decided to develop this product after noticing the significant increase in incidents of bear attacks, especially in mountainous areas. He benefited from the company’s experience in manufacturing products based on hot peppers, as he used the hot substance “capsaicin” as a basic component of the new spray, because it is effective in repelling predators without harming them.
He pointed out that he read a number of books specialized in the environment and behavior of bears to develop an effective formula, and tried several models before arriving at the final formula that could be easily used by residents and hikers in mountainous areas.
This step comes after the authorities of Akita Prefecture in northeastern Japan announced two new attacks this week, bringing the number of infections since the beginning of the year to more than 50 people, in addition to 3 deaths. The authorities also issued public warnings in most areas of the province due to the increasing appearance of bears near residential areas.
The developers of the spray hope that the product will contribute to protecting lives and reducing dangerous confrontations with bears, especially with the approach of winter, when the movement of bears increases in search of food before entering the hibernation stage.
