How a Japanese prefecture is managing rising bear population with microchips

A prefecture in western Japan is drawing attention for a unique bear management programme that uses microchips implanted in captured animals to estimate population levels and guide culling decisions, as rising sightings across the country fuel calls for more effective countermeasures.

Hyogo prefecture says it is the first in Japan to use information gathered from microchipped bears to determine an appropriate population size and maintain a balance between conservation and population control.

The initiative began in 2003, when bears in Hyogo were considered to be at risk of extinction and officials launched a survey primarily aimed at conservation.

Researchers implanted identification chips in captured bears, accumulated data on the animals and developed their own formula to estimate the overall population.

As bear numbers recovered, the prefecture shifted its focus to managing the population while preventing a return to endangered levels.