2021 Volume 61 Issue 2 Pages 221-238
This paper describes the mammalian fauna present during the first half of the 20th century (1900–1945) in the drainage area of Kurobe Gorge, eastern Toyama Prefecture, central Japan, originally recorded by mountaineers of that time. The mammalian fauna described in the mountaineering reports are as follows: wild boar (Sus scrofa), Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus), Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata), Japanese marten (Martes melampus), Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) or badger (Meles anakuma) (both referred as “Mujina”), Japanese hare (Lepus brachyurus), Japanese squirrel (Sciurus lis), Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys), and Chiroptera (bats). In the early 1900s, the wild boar had been reliably recorded only at Yanagawara, the most downstream area of Kurobe Gorge, which is currently submerged in Unazuki-Dam Lake. These reports indicate that the major game animals in Kurobe Gorge at the time were Asian black bears, Japanese serows, and Japanese macaques; Japanese giant flying squirrel, Japanese squirrel, and “Mujina” were also hunted on occasion. Many mammal sightings recorded in the mountaineering reports include the date and locality. In addition, the mountaineers hired mountain guides who made a living as hunters and anglers. While trekking, information on hunting and mammals was communicated between guides and mountaineers and often recorded in the mountaineers’ reports. The mammalian species recorded were restricted to medium- or large-sized mammals, likely because they are easily sighted, and some were important game animals. In contrast, there are limited scientific reports documenting the mammals in Kurobe Gorge during the first half of the 1900s. Thus, mountaineering reports provide valuable resources for early 20th-century mammalian information
