TOKYO (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Brown bears usually wait to feed on pink salmon swimming upstream at the estuaries in Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido from mid-August to early October.
In 2023, they have been unable to find the fish at the mouths of the rivers, reported The Asahi Shimbun on Monday. Instead, the brown bears have been swimming in the sea to look for food.
“Some bears have grown really thin, and they are having a tough time,” said Mr Katsuya Noda, who operates the cruise and told the newspaper.“This year, in addition to the lack of salmon, acorns also have a poor harvest, Mr Masami Yamanaka, a researcher at the Shiretoko Nature Foundation, told The Asahi Shimbun.
Pink salmon is an importance source of food for the estimated 500 brown bears that inhabit Shiretoko Peninsula, a Unesco World Natural Heritage site, known for its landscapes and wild animals. With the pink salmon, the bears are able to gain weight before they move to the mountains, where they will eat acorns and other food. The bears will then hibernate for winter.
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