HOKKAIDO, Mar 31 (News On Japan) –
A big bear, its huge physique swaying because it walked sluggishly, was lately noticed simply after rising from hibernation, already displaying indicators of starvation because it devoured meals in early spring.
The reporting crew visited Bear Mountain in Shintoku, Hokkaido, the place brown bears are raised in an atmosphere near nature, and the place all 11 bears had spent the winter quietly in hibernation.
Inside one of many enclosures, a bear that had solely simply woke up in March was seen gripping meals with its sharp claws and consuming eagerly.
Masaru Sakade, director of Bear Mountain, stated: “This year, we did not feed them for 88 days, and when one bear reacted to the smell of food, the others woke up all at once.”
One bear that had weighed 420 kilograms earlier than hibernation misplaced round 60 kilograms through the fasting interval, having constructed up fats reserves beforehand.
Its ribs had been clearly seen, highlighting how a lot weight it had misplaced.
After hibernation, the bears are given specifically formulated feed excessive in energy and protein, and their weight is progressively restored whereas monitoring their situation.
Loud banging noises echoed from the enclosures, as newly woke up bears struck the doorways from inside.
Sakade defined: “They want us to open the doors quickly and give them food. Their reaction to food is intense. When they see it, they rush toward the enclosure and become excited, almost as if demanding to be fed.”
In 2025, bear-related incidents turned a severe challenge throughout Japan, and studies of so-called “spring bears” rising from hibernation have already begun to rise this 12 months.
In Furano, Hokkaido, there have been three reported sightings in simply the previous week.
On the night time of March twenty fourth, a automotive touring alongside a nationwide freeway collided with a bear that out of the blue darted out from a discipline. While the car was left unable to drive, the driving force was unhurt.
As residents develop more and more anxious about bear sightings, a neighborhood residence enchancment retailer has already begun stocking bear deterrent merchandise.
The retailer has doubled its retail area in comparison with 2025, providing a wider vary of things reminiscent of bear bells and deterrent sprays.
Taichi Miyashita, deputy supervisor of a DCM retailer in Furano, stated: “The season has started unusually early. Normally, we would not begin displaying these products in early March. The periods before and after hibernation are the most dangerous, and we are already receiving inquiries.”
In Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, a veteran hunter with 55 years of expertise, Katsuo Harada, 85, has begun patrols.
Harada stated: “We’re starting to see them here and there. Once it rains, they will come out all at once.”
He defined that when snow melts resulting from rain, bears emerge from their dens and descend from the mountains.
Harada misplaced his left eye in a bear assault about 25 years in the past whereas looking deer, and has since labored to guard native communities from bear-related risks.
While on patrol, he sensed one thing uncommon close to a field lure he had set, out of the blue sniffing the air.
Harada stated: “I smell something—it’s a bear. It’s coming. It’s here!”
Having captured 19 bears in 2025, Harada famous that meals shortages are a severe challenge for bears rising from hibernation.
“The lack of food is a reality. It’s becoming a very harsh time for bears. They are starving and will eat anything. Even if it’s somewhat dangerous, they will enter traps because of hunger,” he stated.
As “spring bears” proceed to seem throughout the nation, authorities warn that bears which have beforehand discovered meals in city areas might return to the identical areas, growing the necessity for vigilance.
Source: FNN