The Last Black Bear in Kyushu: Silence in the Grandmother-Kamikami Mountains" - June 2001

The Last Black Bear in Kyushu: Silence in the Grandmother-Kamikami Mountains" - June 2001

The Grandmother Kaki mountain range, which stretches along the border between Oita and Miyazaki prefectures, was once believed to be the only habitat for black bears in Kyushu. However, since the last individual was captured in Oita Prefecture in 1987, no solid evidence of habitat has been found, and in 2012 it was officially classified as "extinct" on the Ministry of the Environment's Red List of Threatened Species.

In this area, black bears were hunted from the Edo period to the Meiji period (1868-1912), and especially in the early Showa period (1926-1989), they were overhunted for their pelts and medicinal purposes. In 1987, a black bear was captured near Mt.

Notably, genetic analysis of an individual captured in 1987 suggested that it may have been introduced from Honshu. This suggests that the native black bears of Kyushu may have become extinct before that time.

Nonetheless, local residents still pass down the legend that bears exist on Mt. Even in recent years, traces such as footprints and food scars have been reported, but no scientific corroboration has been obtained. Some environmental groups have suggested that bears may secretly survive in the remote areas of the Grandmother and Tilt mountain ranges, and further research is expected.

This area, where the black bear is believed to have become extinct, is now protected as a national park and is home to rare animals such as Japanese serow and dormouse. The black bear, once the mainstay of the ecosystem, has disappeared, but traces of it may still be quietly living in the deep mountain valleys and forests.

Related information
- WWF Japan Report on the conservation of the black bear (2012)
The report provides background on the officially recognized extinction of the black bear in Kyushu and discusses future environmental conservation measures.
- Mammal Science (J-STAGE): Survey of black bears' habitat records (2000).
A review of the evidence of bear inhabitation in the Grandmother and Kankyo mountain ranges, and a discussion of the 1987 capture record.
- "Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Genetic analysis of bears in Kyushu (2010).
A research report that suggests the possibility that individuals captured in 1987 may have originated from Honshu, and that bears endemic to Kyushu may have already become extinct.