Abstract
We reported on the current status and issues involved in the Specified Wildlife Conservation and Management Plans (SWCMP) for the Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in 2003–2007 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Two populations of black bear in Hyogo Prefecture are distributed in the east-Chugoku and north-Kinki regions, and each of these populations has been isolated and endangered. However, the numbers of human-bear conflicts in these regions have been increasing. After the SWCMP was implemented, 86% of all bears captured for nuisance control and miss-trapping have been released with aversive conditioning. We fitted 44 bears with transmitters and monitored their subsequent behavior as long as possible. By such careful monitoring, we could avoid unneeded control-killing of bears. And we could euthanize bears in case of aversive-conditioning when captured again in the same or different village according to the guidelines of the SWCMP. These releases may have prevented the local extinction of the bear populations. We still have at least two problems related to bear management. First, we must develop more effective methods to drive away bears, release with aversive conditioning, and educate local people. Another issue to be solved is large scale management of bear populations distributed over multiple prefectures.
