In Japan, you can find vending machines that sell a wide range of food and drinks. But now the news is that bear meat can be found in a vending machine installed in a remote city. It may sound strange but it is true. This vending machine is installed by a local. The meat of the Asian black bear, which is known as an endangered species, is available in the vending machine.
Bear attacks are a growing problem in some parts of rural Japan, according to reports. Because they are not getting enough food in the forests, they are coming down to human settlements. “If bears come into town, they are dangerous. So hunters set traps or shoot at them,” said Daishi Sato, who set up a vending machine outside his noodle shop.
Although considered an endangered species, there are no legal problems with eating bear meat in Japan because the numbers are not too small. Sato says that the meat of a bear caught with a trap has more flavor. Sato sells at least 10 packets of 250 grams per week. Sato gets an average of Rs 1,000 per week from this.
Last year alone, 75 people were injured in encounters with bears in Japan. Government figures also show that two people were killed.
Last Updated Apr 7, 2023, 3:56 PM IST