As Bear Attacks Increase, Scientists Hope AI Can Reduce Conflicts

January 15, 2026

2025 was a rough year for human-bear relations. In the U.S., Florida had its first-ever fatal attack from a black bear, and two men died in Arkansas in separate incidents. Japan’s black bear population surged in 2025, resulting in so many fatal attacks on humans that the country’s military got involved.

And in perhaps the most terrifying example of all, a grizzly bear attacked a group of schoolchildren in British Columbia, Canada — and then disappeared beyond the reach of wildlife officials.

In many cases, these attacks prompt calls for renewed hunting of bears. That’s even true in British Columbia, which hasn’t allowed grizzly bear hunting since 2017. But state-sanctioned hunting doesn’t always reduce conflicts with bears, because bears often seek out cities for their abundant trash and other food sources. GEARJUNKIE