Management of Human–Bear Conflict

On Oshima Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan, recent trends concerning the intrusions of the brown bear into crop fields and a subsequent increase in agricultural damage have highlighted the need for new and more effective population management strategies. To devise such strategies, we constructed a population dynamics model for adult females, based on bear aggressiveness and human-bear interactions. The results of the analysis indicate that an adaptive management strategy successfully reduces the risk of management failure. In Shiretoko World Heritage site, also Hokkaido, wild bears become a nuisance by interacting with photographers who visit the area. Through such interactions, bears get used to the presence of people, and due to a lack of fear, may eventually exhibit aggressive behavior. Managing bear populations, therefore, also demands managing people. To further exacerbate the situation, the human–wildlife conflict has spilled from national parks to metropolitan areas. Ban on hunting does not help either.