Japanese scientists claim that the defensive position of lying on your stomach can help when encountering a bear. Scientists from Akita University found that people who lay face down and protected their heads and necks were not seriously injured. Japan has seen a record number of bear attacks in recent years. According to the Ministry of the Environment, more than 50,000 bear sightings were reported during the last fiscal year, and 238 attacks on humans, 13 of which ended in death.
The researchers analyzed the cases of 70 people injured in bear attacks in 2023. The most common were injuries to the face, hands and arms. However, seven people, according to the study, took a defensive lying position and covered their heads and necks. None of them suffered serious injuries. “Among those affected were seven people, or 10% of the total, who were able to take a defensive position, and none of them were seriously injured,” say the authors of the study published in the professional journal Clinical Orthopedic Surgery.
Out of a total of 70 cases, 23 were very serious. Some patients required general anesthesia and amputations of fingers or limbs. The authors also noted six cases of facial nerve palsy and four cases of eyeball damage. “It is important for people to understand bear behavior and learn effective ways to protect themselves from attacks,” study co-author and orthopedic surgeon Yuki Ishigaki told Kyodo.
