Asiatic Black Bear Conservation Study Tour
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Price
34,000 - 57,000 *Depends on the number of participants
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Duration
4 to 5 hours
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Hosted in
Japanese and English
Summary
Visit Picchio Wildlife Research Center and learn about Asiatic black bear conservation from our experts.
The program starts with a lecture about bear protection and management, which is followed by a field study tour to several habitat points. Previously captured bears are equipped with a radio collar that is used to keep track of their location and Picchio staff will point out the current location of the bears during the telemetry portion of the program, and, if you are lucky, you may be able to see a bear caught in one of our specially designed drum traps that have been developed for protection and research purposes.
The aim of this tour is to inform you of the delicate balance between bears and humans and you are sure to leave with a better understanding of these fascinating animals and a greater appreciation for wildlife in general.
Highlights
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Experience real bear conservation
Picchio has been actively involved in bear protection and management since 1998. We have developed a distinct individual management system that is currently only applied in Karuizawa and surrounding areas. This study tour will give you an opportunity to experience real bear conservation first hand and gain a better understanding of the work done by Picchio.
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Meet the bear dogs
In 2004, Picchio brought our first bear dog from the Wind River Bear Institute in Montana, USA, making us the first organization in asia to use bear dogs for conservation. The dogs have played a crucial role in reducing the number of conflicts between humans and bears, bringing the number of sightings in residential Karuizawa down from 36 to 9 in just 10 years.
Details
- Period
- Oct 01, 2024 - Mar 31, 2025
- Time
- 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Price
- *Depends on the number of participants
1 person: 34,000 yen
2 people: 39,000 yen (total)
3 people: 43,500 yen (total)
4 people: 48,000 yen (total)
5 people: 52,500 yen (total)
6 people: 57,000 yen (total)
- Requirements
- 13 years or older
- Meeting place
- Picchio visitor center
- Reservation
- Please make a booking at least 2 weeks in advance.
*Please apply for your desired date and time via the email address below or through our “Contact us" page. We may not always be able to accept your preferred date depending on the timing of previous inquiries or national holidays. We recommend that you make your request early to avoid disappointment.
Email: info@m.picchio.co.jp - Schedule
- 12:50 p.m. Meeting time
1:00 p.m. Tour starts. Explaination about black bear conservation in Karuizawa (indoor lecture)
1:30 p.m. Visit the specially designed bear proof garbage bins
2:00 p.m. Simulated experience of a bear capture and anesthesia application.
3:00 p.m. Experience radio telemetry surveying
3:30 p.m. Visit known bear sigthing spots inside Karuizawa town
4:30 p.m. Introduction about the work done by the bear dogs
5:00 p.m. End of tour
- Please prepare comfortable and climate appropriate clothing and a water bottle.
It is strongly recommended that you wear wear long trousers to prevent minor injuries and wear sport shoes or trekking shoes.
- Note
- ・The aim of this tour is not to observe or capture bears.
・Meals are not included.
・A portion of the sales will be donated to our conservation activities.
