As spring arrives, brown bears begin to stir after waking from hibernation. Footprints that were confirmed in Minami-ku, Sapporo at the end of March form part of the first information regarding the emergence of bears this year. Experts point out that the period in which brown bears start to become active is earlier than usual, due to there being less snow than normal.

　This year’s first information regarding the emergence of bears was footprints confirmed at the Shirakawa Shimin-no-Mori forest in Minami-ku, Sapporo on March 25. A bear was later sighted in the Miyaoka Park in an urban district of Nishi-ku on the 27th. The leader of the security patrol group of the local residents’ association of Miyanosawa, which is located near the park, said “there’s an elementary school nearby, so we want to tell the children and people who walk in the park to be careful”. The City’s Environmental Bureau presumes that several bears have become active, saying “the two places are quite far apart so it’s doubtful that it’s the same bear”.