2011 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 55-62
In 2002, the City of Kobe enacted an ordinance banning the feeding of boars to stop the increasing the number of boars in the urban area. Although eight years have passed since the ordinance was enacted, it is not clear whether it has improved the situation or not. This paper explores the relationship between humans and boars through a case study on the frequency of sighting boars and the attitude of local residents toward the animals in Kobe city and the urban area of the southern part of Mt.Rokko.Field studies were conducted in 2000 and 2001 in the watershed areas of Tenjo River in Higashinada Ward of Kobe where boars had appeared. Identical surveys, interviews with and questionnaires to the local residents were also conducted from September to December in 2009.The surveys found that the number of boars seen on the roads and damage to garbage collections sites—feeding sites for the boars—have decreased. On the other hand, sightings of boars in the riverbed have increased according to the relative differences in the elevation of the riverbed. Although seventy-four per cent of those who responded to the questionnaires were aware of the ordinance, feeding the boars in the riverbed of Tenjo River has not stopped since the ordinance was enacted. Surveys also discovered that those who answered the interviews and questionnaires tend to have a favorable attitude toward boars and feed them based on the preference to boars. Therefore, it can be said that although the ordinance has been effective to some extent, many people still continue to ignore the ban. To establish a realistic policy that accommodates people's feelings, other measures to help bores in their current habitat are necessary.
