Wildlife Study and Education in the Department of Animal Science

Abstract

Aiming at improving university wildlife education in animal science departments, wildlife-related experiences of students before entering universities, curricula at college and wildlife-related job opportunities were surveyed. The number of students who wish to learn wildlife was steadily increasing. They chose animal science departments from the reason that they love animals rather than that they need acquiring professional qualifications. Students of the department understood the word of ‘human-animal partnership’ in connection with the companion animals. Questionnaire to freshmen of the department indicated that they got wildlife-related information mainly from TV programs. In particular limited number of animal and nature programs had strong influence on them. In the field the raccoon dog was most frequently encountered mammal species followed by the fox and the deer. House rats that used to be common in Japanese houses were no more familiar to the younger generation. Animal science departments in private universities had 1-6 wildlife-related courses, but courses on companion animals were no more than 0-1. In Japanese faculties of agriculture, wildlife is dealt at different departments including animal science, veterinary science, forest science, and environmental science, but features of wildlife study in animal science seems not differentiated from that of other departments. As wild animals are not sources of direct income, wildlife-oriented students have to seek job opportunities in public sectors. Although there are many students who wish to work in wildlife-related jobs, the quantity of information that they have over the real contents of respective jobs is often surprisingly limited. Moreover, there are jobs for which students of animal science are not eligible. Supply of job information as well as vocational education is urgently needed. The research methodologies in animal science are mostly applicable to wildlife studies and there exist few barriers between the fields of wildlife study and animal science. In view of the situation that land degradation and desertification by cattle overgrazing are serious in many parts of the world, international cooperation in cattle management seems one of the frontier field of international cooperation for the animal science in Japan.