Japan has come up with a novel way of tackling the growing menace of bear attacks — by eating them. Bear is back on the menu in country inns, cooked on a stone slate or in a hot pot with vegetables, as culls are stepped up after 13 people were killed in maulings this year, twice as many as the previous record. Bears, who can weigh up to half a ton and outrun humans, have been breaking into homes looking for food, nosing around schools, and rampaging through supermarkets. As alarm has grown, so, too, has the appetite for eating bear. According to restaurant owner Koji Suzuki, “The number of customers who want to eat bear meat has increased a lot.” In fact, the taste for bear has grown so much that she’s having to turn customers away. According to those who have sampled bear meat, the more you chew, the tastier it gets. Suzuki, who is also a hunter, said they take care when cooking bears to show respect for their life. “It’s better to use the meat to feed people, rather than burying it.”
