Destination Asia Japan is happy to announce that the Picchio Wildlife Research Centre has finally launched its exclusive bear study program this autumn. A first for Japan, visitors to the centre are now able to learn about Asiatic black bears through an exclusive visit to the bears’ habitat area.
The centre has been working on bear protection management since 1998; conducting research from various angles in order to discover more about them as a species and help reduce the friction between humans and bears. Asiatic black bears are shy and rely mainly on plants for food, so they pose less of a risk than some carnivorous animals. However, there have been cases where harm is caused and as a result, they tend to elicit strong emotional responses from those who want them to be protected and those who do not. This makes them a difficult species to manage and conserve without empirical scientific evidence to tackle irrational beliefs.
The tour begins with a lecture about bear protection management from the centre’s Asiatic black bear conservation experts, followed by a field study tour in several habitat points. Guests may also have the chance to visit the centre’s Karelian bear dogs – highly trained dogs that can detect bears and chase them away from human-inhabited areas back into the forest. At the end of the tour, guests will return home with a better understanding of how to live in harmony with wildlife.
The tour will be released on our tariff 2022, including another six new nature tours in Karuizawa. In the meantime, explore the endless opportunities for discovery in the Land of the Rising Sun in our dedicated, interactive Japan ebook.
