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8th June 2001
Niseko has its own wild bears! This may not impress anyone who has
spent time in Whistler and shared the slopes with the smallish brown bears
that reside happily near staff quarters.
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But for Niseko locals it's very exciting! There has always been a bear
presence here, but only in the commercial sense. We have had bear omiyage
t-shirts, towels, stickers, coffee mugs - and even one slightly sad and
frostbitten stuffed creature that stands out the front of a souvenir shop - but
none of the real thing. Yes, Hokkaido is the home of the Japanese Higuma bear
but not, until now, on Niseko-Hirafu's mountain. Move over Whistler...
Higuma or Carnivora Cumacea bear, genus Ursus arctos yesoensis,
is only found in Hokkaido, and can grow to a height of 200cm and weigh as much
as 300kg. Black or brown in colour and with thickly set limbs, Higuma is an
impressive beast. It is an omnivorous animal, but it seems to prefer meat
meals. Apparently Higuma bears don't enjoy the company of people. If humans do
approach, the bears, with their acute senses of smell and hearing, tend to move
on before being spotted. This spring, things have not gone so smoothly on the
bear-human relations front.
Humans decided to do some large scale construction work around
Futaba Dam area (35 kms southeast of Niseko), which has forced a number of
bears to come out of hibernation earlier than usual and migrate to new
territory. As is anyone who is awoken from a deep sleep by loud construction
machinery, the bears are apparently quite put out. Last month in the forest of
the Jozankei area (20kms southwest of Sapporo), a middle-aged man who was
collecting sansai (edible wild plants) was killed and half-eaten by a Higuma
bear. His remains were discovered stored in a tree trunk for later meals. The
suspect bear was hunted down and killed, but the incident has raised alarm
amongst the sansai collecting community.
Spring is a difficult time for bear-human relations even
without having forced the bears from their winter homes. Hokkaido sansai offers
a delicious selection of "Fuki" (butterbur), "warabi"
(bracken), "yomogi" (mugwort), "udo" (udo), "kureson"
(watercress) and "takenoko" (bamboo shoots) to name a few. Highly
prized for flavour and nutritional value, certain sansai plants sell for
exorbitant prices in grocery stores around Japan. Often oblivious to the danger
of bears, people flock to Hokkaido on sansai tours from all over the country.
Some types of sansai can be found along the side of the road, but other more
treasured varieties require collectors to venture further and further into
Hokkaido's wilderness - into Higuma territory. Bears eat the same sansai that
collectors are after. It is because of this that their paths can cross at
untimely moments.
It is true the Higuma bear possesses phenomenal strength and is
a hunting machine. Stories of how a bear has come down onto farmlands, and
single-handedly killed and then dragged away a cow or horse, are not uncommon.
In reality, the bear is one of the sansai collector's least concerns. Every
year, many people lose their lives collecting edible plants in Hokkaido. Most
of these accidents occur whilst climbing cliffs for that rare shoot of greenery
- often as a result of poor rope work.
So why is it then that the endangered Higuma bear - who obviously lived here
first - is ruthlessly forced out of his home or hunted down and killed? Looking
at the rubbish left behind by certain sansai collectors, it is tempting to
suggest reversing the punishment... If bear-human relations are to have a
future, it is the human side which is in need of education. It is up to us to
think a little more about protecting one of Japan's great natural treasures.
But what do you do if you are innocently collecting a few herbs, or taking a
stroll through one of Hokkaido's wilderness areas, and come face to face with
Mr. Higuma? With their ability to move twice as fast as us, running away isn't
an option. Since Higuma spends about half of his/her life up trees, climbing to
safety doesn't work either. As he is an avid swimmer, with good short-distance
day and night vision, there is not really a lot one can do. Some suggest
playing dead and perhaps this is an option. Once eye contact has been made,
however, Higuma certainly isn't easily fooled. Furthermore, no matter how inert
you may be, you are warm-blooded and probably smell pretty tasty...
Carrying a small bell is often recommended to warn bears that you are passing
through. Bears apparently tend to become aggressive if they are surprised,
especially when they have young close-by. If you are heading backcountry it is
worth seeking information to find out known hunting paths. If possible, avoid
climbing in the early morning, the evening, or at night - these are Higuma
times. The smell of a BBQ or of alcohol is said to attract bears, and garbage
leftovers have also been sited as the cause of bear attack.
If you are caught face to face, mace-like repellent sprays are available,
but they are effective only if you score a direct hit to the bear's face. It
seems that the trick is not to frighten the bear - fireworks are obviously a
no-no. Try to stay quiet and calm, put your pack or belongings down on the
ground in front of the bear. Back away slowly while maintaining eye contact,
and never turn your back on the bear.
As scary as the Higuma may sound, he is really only interested in doing his own
thing. As Hokkaido's bear population continues to dwindle, Higuma is in need of
a little human TLC - admittedly, from a distance. No one is really sure whether
Hirafu's new inhabitants are here to stay or are just passing through. I do
feel for the guys who went up to do some maintenance work on Alpen #3 lift and
found themselves surrounded by huge bear prints. Nevertheless, I hope the
resort is mature enough not to do anything rash. Niseko-Hirafu Resort
spokesperson Mr. Tachibana ensures me that no action has been planned unless
the bears come down into the village.
Here's to bears sticking around for a while, and to bamboo shoot collectors
being careful and respecting nature. Higuma will be sound asleep during
Niseko's winter months - just don't ride into someone's cave. Powder seekers
will only find their Niseko experience a deeper one.
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