Hokkaido Struggles to Dispose of Culled Bears

A massive 400-kilogram bear was recently captured on video prowling through deep snow and toppling a 300-kilogram box trap loaded with deer meat, illustrating how the animals’ search for food has expanded as poor harvests of nuts and berries drive them into populated areas.

Human injuries from bear encounters are mounting, and municipalities are running out of ways to handle the growing number of culled animals. At the Nanbu Hiyama Sanitation Union, Ueto, the head of the facility, said operations ran “at full capacity in September and October,” adding that “the numbers this year are simply abnormal.”

In Kaminokuni, located in southern Hokkaido, the situation has escalated dramatically. The town, which saw only six bears culled last year, has already processed 104 since January—roughly 17 times more. Staff at the town office have been inundated with response duties to the point of disrupting normal administrative work. A freezer located near the office is now used to temporarily store carcasses that hunters bring in after culling and dismantling the animals, a stopgap introduced only this year because same-day transport to disposal plants has become difficult.

Sugino, head of the town’s agriculture and forestry division, explained that the freezer was necessary because carcasses left at ambient temperatures in summer quickly rot and produce strong odors. However, the freezer fits only one bear, and during peak periods carcasses exceeded its capacity. “At times we had no choice but to place them temporarily around the freezer,” Sugino said. “We’ve never experienced culls on this scale.”

At the Nanbu Hiyama Cleaning Center in Esashi, which handles waste for five towns including Kaminokuni, the strain is acute. Ueto said the facility incinerated roughly 30 bears last year but has already processed more than 120 this year. Each incineration requires around 100 liters of kerosene; the plant used 3,000 liters last year but has already consumed more than 7,000 liters in 2024, doubling fuel costs.

Capacity is another critical limit. “We can only burn two bears per day,” Ueto said. “When we fall behind, the carcasses start to decay, so in those cases we have no option but to bury them. Until now, almost everything was properly incinerated, so we have very little experience with landfill disposal.”

As authorities struggle with disposal, chefs are exploring how to incorporate bear meat into cuisine as a form of “life’s cycle.” Fujimoto, head chef of the French restaurant Les Canetiers in Sapporo’s Nishi Ward, has been serving Hokkaido brown bear dishes for about five years. He said the key is to soften the meat’s distinctive aroma while retaining a subtle wild character. “If we can turn a life that has been taken into nourishment for people, then it’s our job to prepare it deliciously,” he said.

Fujimoto sources bear meat directly from hunters in towns such as Biei and Kamifurano. Using classic French techniques, he tempers the scent with herbs and transforms the meat into dishes he describes as uniquely flavorful, with firm but tender fibers. The restaurant offers bear as part of its dinner courses, beginning at 11,000 yen, and uses bones and connective tissue to make consommé, ensuring minimal waste.

Reporters who sampled the dishes described them as unexpectedly mild, with a pleasant chew and soft texture. Fujimoto believes bear meat has the potential to become a signature Hokkaido ingredient, saying he hopes to convey that the animal—often associated with fear—has another side when appreciated as food.

However, he acknowledged the challenges in expanding its use: brown bears are far fewer in number than Ezo deer, capturing them is dangerous, and maintaining freshness requires processing within one to two hours of the kill, making speed essential.

Asked how long bears will remain active this season, Horiuchi, a commentator on the program, said they consulted Professor Sato at Rakuno Gakuen University for insight.

Source: HBCニュース　北海道放送