◇◆◇Study meeting report in 2013
"We learn the wonder situation of yezo deer"
On 18th July, we learned "the damage caused by yezo deer "from Takeo Kiuchi,unit chief of yezo deer countermeasures ,life and environment department of Hokkaido Government, as a lecturer. Also Mr.Kiuchi is a veterinarian, the lecture was not only broad outlook and deep on animals, but also affectionate on life. The following is the wonder situation of yezo deer.
The length of yezo deer (male) is 90～190cm.Weight is 50～130kg.They are polygamous, conception rate is 90%. A two year old deer can give birth to fawn. The habitat is forest. The feeding habit causes the damages of forest and agriculture which they eat almost all plants. Current (2011) populations is 640 thousand. Damage of agriculture is \6,400 million. That is to say,10 thousand deer cause \100 million amount of agricultural damage.You must recognize that residents in Hokkaido bear the expens of \6,400 million.
Vegetables produced in Hokkaido hit the shelves usually at supermarkets, in fact farmers sent that with difficulty which they protected from deer at great effort. Of course, the cost has been included in the price.
Deer are clever. They have learning abilities too. They pay no attention to the field of herbicide use. They aim only the field of organic farming.
Recently, they have begun to eat rare alpine plants. Rare plants will not grow again if those gene disappeared. Trees eaten the bark cannot reproduce, and rich ecosystems will be destroyed.
But, these matters are the tip of an iceberg. Invisible economic loss is large.
For example, on an accident between a train and a deer,howks and eagles come around to prey the body of dead deer. These birds are protected species. Nothing to be done,you can only stop the train and wait until their Leaving.
On a collide of a car and a deer,you must pay for repairing your broken car if you don't take out self-inflicted accident insurance. Deer in a town is excitement. It interrupts urban functions in turmoil. Approaching is dangerous.
At the end of the lecture. Kiuchi asked a question "What is to blame for this? Is it only deer" We had exterminated wolves. Originally, fields and mountains have been homes to deer. Human beings have developed too closely to mountains.
A deer has a sacred life, too. It is desirable to exploit the body not as a waste, but as a foodstuff. The lecture had been ended that it would be the only expiation for dead deer .
What is to blame for this? Is it only deer?
(Translated by Hiroshi Arita)