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adopt a defensive posture by lying face down encountering a bear Serious injuries can be prevented, according to a new Japanese study.
There was a record number in Japan fatal encounter Bears killed nine people this year across the countryAccording to the Environment Ministry.
Researchers from Akita University in northeastern Japan conducted the survey 70 people injured in bear attack in 2023 and was found to have injuries on the face, hand and arm most popularHowever, seven of the people surveyed who lay face down and covered their head and neck escaped serious injuries.
Scientists made personal evaluation account of attacks from survivors and linked this data to information from medical records Type and severity of injury The findings are the first of their kind based on real data.
Of the 70 surveyed, 23 were serious cases. multiple strokesRequires general anesthesia and amputation of fingers and limbs.
“There were 23 severe cases, six cases of facial nerve palsy and four cases of ophthalmoplegia disorders,” said the study published in the journal Medicine. Clinical Orthopedic Surgery noted.
,of those affected“7 people (10 percent of the total) were able to take a defensive posture, and none of these 7 people were seriously injured,” the researchers said.
Bears are found widely in Japan, with brown bears found in Hokkaido and black bears seen widely in Honshu and Shikoku Prefecture.
In recent years, bear attacks have increased due to changing habitats due to the increasing frequency of human activities in the forests.
Of the 209 bear-related human injuries in the country in 2023, 70 occurred in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan.
Most of the injured were attacked while doing daily outdoor activities near their residence.
“Attacks also occurred more frequently in areas close to people’s homes, such as farms and wooded residential areas,” the researchers wrote.
“It is important for people to understand bears’ habits and learn effective ways to protect themselves from attacks,” study co-author and orthopedic surgeon Yuki Ishigaki told Japan’s Kyodo news agency.
Although the defensive posture highlighted in the study cannot guarantee complete protection, researchers say it may help reduce injuries to the head and upper body, which are the areas most targeted by bears during attacks.