NPO Active in Preserving Rich Forests for Wild Bears

Aiming to preserve and regenerate healthy forests to save large animals from extinction, the Japan Bear and Forest Association, a nonprofit organization, was formed in Hyogo Prefecture in 1997. This effort was triggered by junior high school students in the prefecture who rose up to save the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), which is threatened by extinction.

In Japan, as a result of conifer plantations and ski resort developments after the 1950s, broadleaf trees have been logged and the availability of nuts that large animals such as bears feed on have been drastically reduced. The wild animals that have lost their habitats often have no choice but to venture onto agricultural land, which often results in bears causing crop damage, and ultimately being exterminated by humans.

The number of bears in Japan, including brown bears living in Hokkaido (northern Japan) and black bears on the main island of Honshu, is estimated at between 10,000 and 13,000, according to the association. As about 2,000 bears were killed in 2004, the ursine population in Japan is feared to disappear unless appropriate measures are taken

The association promotes the planting of nut-bearing trees such as the sawtooth oak or Japanese oak, in an effort to keep bears in their habitat and away from humans. It says that forests capable of supporting large animals are ecologically well-balanced and, with abundant water resources stored in their soil, are necessary for all living creatures, including humans.

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Posted: 2006/03/15 09:30:06 AM
Japanese version