Japanese city deploys anti-bear drones as 'human casualties at an all-time high' — non-lethal spray can be delivered with 10cm accuracy radius, 1km range

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Human-bear encounters are up 163% since 2021, with more than 12 human deaths recorded in 2025.

Terra Drone systems
(Image credit: Terra Drone)

A Japanese city is rolling out an anti-bear drone system in response to “record levels of bear casualties and sightings.” Terra Drone has announced (machine translation) that its bear-repelling drones will be deployed around Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture to address concerns regarding a “bear infestation.”

Terra Drone quotes Japanese Ministry of the Environment figures as part of the explanation as to the current wave of ursine issues in the land of the rising sun. Its press release states that the number of human-bear encounters “has increased by 163% since 2021, with 20,792 cases nationwide, 100 injuries since April, and more than 12 deaths.” These are the worst official stats ever, says the firm.

Terra Drone systems

(Image credit: Terra Drone)

Terra Drone to the rescue

Last year, Terra Drone adapted its devices to respond quickly to bear sightings and carry bear repellent sprays. The resulting drone system can “combine speed, safety, and immediate effectiveness.”

In action, the drones are operated from up to a kilometer (~1,100 yards) away, ensuring operator safety. A drone can deliver its capsaicin spray on target at distances between 5 and 10 meters (up to ~11 yards) from the bear. This has a temporary, non-lethal impact on the bear(s), and makes sure they can’t sense humans in their vicinity.

Terra Drone has previously demonstrated a similar pesticide packing drone for farms. It is claimed to be accurate enough to spray areas with an accuracy of within a 10cm radius.

Ishinomaki City is far from the only area in Japan affected by bears.

Last year, we reported on Japanese tech giant NTT’s design for a laser drone system designed to protect chickens. It is good to hear and see advanced drone systems being used outside the theater of war.

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Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor
5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jwnm
    In America we have the best deterrence they are called hunters.
    Reply
  • Zaranthos
    jwnm said:
    In America we have the best deterrence they are called hunters.

    We also have a growing predator problem as we protect once endangered or at risk species along with repopulating them closer to human areas. As a kid I played day and night in the forests of rural Minnesota with no fears of wolves, bears, coyote, etc. That has changed now as bears roam near humans, even having bear problems in towns where they get into garbage. Big cats are also repopulating closer to humans. Even armed things don't go well for people who are surprised or surprise a big predator, especially if they have cubs. Even a well trained hunter often can't react fast enough to protect themselves against a surprise predator attack.
    Reply
  • Findecanor
    The root cause of the problem has been programs that have caused hunters to kill more deer and bore for bounty instead of for the meat.
    So, some irresponsible hunters have used snares and traps to catch more animals. Often they have after killing an animal just cut off the tail for the bounty and left the carcass to rot.

    Japanese black bears don't typically hunt, but are opportunists. So, when they come across a carcass, or a helpless trapped animal, they help themselves.
    This has made some of them accustomed to eating meat, killing for meat and to associating the smell of humans with that food.

    Areas without hunting and trapping for bounties have not had any recorded cases of bears hunting humans.

    But yes, there are other factors: Rising bear population previous years but last year being a bad year for bear's natural food sources, wild bores migrating into bear country competing for the same plants, natural forests being replaced with "tree plantations" with less plant variety, fewer humans in the countryside to scare bears away, and fewer hunters.
    Reply
  • Tanakoi
    Findecanor said:
    The root cause of the problem has been programs that have caused hunters to kill more deer and bore for bounty instead of for the meat... Areas without hunting and trapping for bounties have not had any recorded cases of bears hunting humans.
    Actually, the root cause is simple:

    1. Bear populations in Japan have surged in the last decade from 15K total to over 54K
    2. Bear hunting has sharply declined in the last 20 years.

    This is mathematical biology 101: bears are apex predators, and without humans to restrict them, their population is now at the upper end of the logistics curve.

    Bears don't roam central Tokyo. They're in rural, mountainous regions... And ALL those regions have bounty programs. Your statement is like claiming chlorinated drinking water causes AIDS, because AIDS is most prevalent in big cities that require such water. Every boar and deer alive in Japan today will eventually die and leave a carcass somewhere, if from nothing else but old age. The idea that bounty programs are the only way that bear would ever find a carcass to eat is just nonsensical.
    Reply
  • Notton
    jwnm said:
    In America we have the best deterrence they are called hunters.
    They have hunters in Japan too, but there aren't enough compared to the amount of bears.

    The reward for hunting bears is dismal, acquiring a hunting license and hunting rifle is not easy, you can easily lose your license, and the hunter population themselves are getting old.

    Where as in America, you have 3 guns per person, and extremely lax laws with guns and hunting.

    For instance, a town/city won't even pay hunters $80 a day as a reward for tracking down, capturing, and euthanizing a single bear.
    IDK if you've walked through a forest before, but it's not easy when the path isn't manicured. Doing that for 8hrs+ a day for $80 just isn't worth it, especially when bears are one of the more challenging animals to hunt.

    There isn't much of a market for bear parts either, as there are very strict export laws for that.
    Reply