science
Rising Bear Encounters Prompt Review of Japan Wildlife Management
Japan is seeing an increase in bear encounters as animals emerge from hibernation. A hiker was killed by a brown bear in Shiretoko National Park last August and another fatal attack occurred in Iwate Prefecture in April. Officials and conservation groups are expanding non-lethal measures including tracking, deterrents and public education to reduce conflicts between people and bears.
The Japan TimesAudio version
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A rise in bear encounters across Japan is leading officials to review wildlife management practices in areas where human activity and bear habitats overlap. Bears are emerging from hibernation and two fatal attacks have already been reported this year.
In northeastern Hokkaido, a hiker was killed by an Ezo brown bear last August in Shiretoko National Park while descending Mount Rausu. The incident was the first fatality in the park since it received UNESCO World Heritage status in 2005. Trails on the peninsula were closed for the remainder of that season and are scheduled to reopen this summer.
On April 21, the Environment Ministry confirmed a fatal attack by an Asian black bear in Shiwa, Iwate Prefecture.
35 national parks and 57 quasi-national parks include a mix of public and private land that permits human habitation and economic activity under zoned protections. Wildlife management follows the national Wildlife Protection and Hunting Management Law, but prefectures draft plans and municipalities carry them out.
Local governments may commission private organizations for assistance. “When agricultural damage or human injury occurs at the local level, municipalities are the first to respond,” said Takahiro Okano, director of the Kushiro Natural Environment Office.
” In cases that cross prefectural boundaries or involve rare species, the national government participates directly. The Shiretoko Nature Foundation receives public funding and carries out bear countermeasures for the towns of Rausu and Shari. These include noise deterrents such as rubber bullets and fireworks, identification of repeat offenders, and culling of bears that have become habituated to human food or learned to stalk hikers.
