Japan uses wolf urine to keep deer from transport
Source: AFP |
June 25, 2013, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TRANSPORT operators in northern Japan are sprinkling wolf urine near roads and broadcasting the roar of lions near train tracks in a bid to keep deer away and reduce accidents.
Nexco East, an expressway operator, imports wolf urine from the United States to spray on the highways it operates in Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's four main islands.
"Even though we have increased the height of fences to 2.5 meters from 1.5 meters, fences sometimes break because of heavy snow, so we need this stop-gap measure while mending them," a company official said yesterday. "The effect lasts about a month, but it won't be effective forever because deer get used to the smell."
The deer population in Hokkaido was nearly wiped out in the early 20th century because of overhunting and sometimes brutal winters. But conservation efforts, and the extinction of the indigenous wild wolf population, led to their recovery.
There are now around 650,000 deer on the island, sometimes wreaking havoc with farmland and transport systems.
Hokkaido Railway Co has erected equipment that broadcasts the roar of lions in an effort to keep the timid animals away from its tracks. There were 2,581 incidents involving deer last year, the company said.
Nexco East, an expressway operator, imports wolf urine from the United States to spray on the highways it operates in Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's four main islands.
"Even though we have increased the height of fences to 2.5 meters from 1.5 meters, fences sometimes break because of heavy snow, so we need this stop-gap measure while mending them," a company official said yesterday. "The effect lasts about a month, but it won't be effective forever because deer get used to the smell."
The deer population in Hokkaido was nearly wiped out in the early 20th century because of overhunting and sometimes brutal winters. But conservation efforts, and the extinction of the indigenous wild wolf population, led to their recovery.
There are now around 650,000 deer on the island, sometimes wreaking havoc with farmland and transport systems.
Hokkaido Railway Co has erected equipment that broadcasts the roar of lions in an effort to keep the timid animals away from its tracks. There were 2,581 incidents involving deer last year, the company said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
