man-eaters

これまでは熊よけとしてラジオや鈴の音を鳴らすという対策をとっていましたが、熊はそれに慣れてきているようです。

Bears in Japan may be turning into man-eaters

AKITA — Animal experts warn that bears in Japan have become accustomed to such sounds as radios and the ringing of bells used by humans to frighten them away and now may instead be attracted by the sounds as a marker of human prey.

In Akita Prefecture, four people assumed to be victims of bear attacks were found dead between May and June.

Pieces of human flesh were found in the stomach of one of the bears suspected to have attacked the victims. Other people in the prefecture have been seriously injured in recent attacks.

Experts warn that administrative authorities should improve measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Local govt measures criticized

Prof. Koji Yamazaki of the Tokyo University of Agriculture, who is in charge of research conducted by the Tokyo-based Japan Bear Network, said, “Entry into the areas where the incidents took place should have been strictly limited, and utmost efforts should have been made to kill bears suspected to have attacked people.”

In recent attacks, five people have been killed or injured on a mountain in Kazuno in the prefecture. The municipal government asked the prefectural government on May 23 for permission to kill bears after a second fatal attack was confirmed.

以下省略

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003085287

今回取り上げるのは、見出しにある “man-eaters” です。記事の内容から、人を食べる動物という意味だと思われました。『ライトハウス英和辞典』（第5版　研究社）でman-eaterを調べてみますと、可算名詞で「1人食い（人）、食人種、人食い動物（さめ、とら、ライオンなど）　2（こっけいに）男をあさる（手玉に取る）女」という意味があることがわかりました。今回は「人食い動物」の意味で用いられています。LDOCEには “a wild animal that kills and eats people” という意味と “a woman who people think is frightening because she has many sexual partners - used humorously” とありました。

私が小学生だった頃、熊よけの大きな鈴をランドセルにつけていたことを思い出しました。(aqua)