As tourism and urban development expand into natural habitats, finding ways for local communities and wildlife to safely coexist is one of the greatest challenges of our time. In the resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano, our partners at Picchio Bear Conservation have spent over two decades proving that human safety and wildlife preservation do not have to come at each other’s expense.
We are thrilled to announce that the EXO Foundation has provided a grant to Picchio Bear Conservation to support their non-lethal, high-tech wildlife management initiatives.
Redefining Wildlife Management Without Culling
In many parts of the world, human-bear encounters are often met with lethal culling. Picchio takes a revolutionary, non-lethal approach centered on aversive conditioning and preemptive tracking:
- Trained Bear Dogs: Utilizing Karelian bear dogs—specially trained canine ambassadors—to chase bears out of urban zones without physical harm, teaching them that human settlements are unsafe.
- Bear-Proof Infrastructure: Installing specialized bear-proof trash bins across town to remove food attractants.
- GPS & Radio Telemetry: Individually tracking resident bears to monitor their movements and intervene before conflicts arise.
How the Grant Will Be Used
Following a presentation to our EXO Japan team, the grant will directly cover critical operational equipment needed for night patrols and forest maintenance:
- GPS Tracking Collars & Telemetry Equipment: Supplying new receivers, antennas, and GPS-equipped collars to track bear movements around the clock and respond rapidly to town sightings.
- Bush Cutters & Forest Clearing Gear: Funding brush cutters and chainsaws to maintain clear buffer zones between town roads and deep forest corridors, dramatically improving visibility for residents and deterrence teams.
- Night Patrol & Safety Tools: Purchasing thermal vision monoculars and handheld GPS units to ensure the field team’s safety during night operations.
Regenerative Ecotourism in Action
Picchio originally started in 1992 as a wildlife research center and has successfully integrated ecotourism with conservation. A portion of the proceeds from their nature tours flows back into funding their bear protection operations.
By supporting local experts like Picchio, the EXO Foundation is helping build a replicable model for human-wildlife harmony across Japan and beyond.
🐻 Learn & Visit
Heading to Nagano? Karuizawa is just a 70-minute bullet train ride from Tokyo. Visitors can participate in guided nature walks and educational programs at Picchio to learn how community stewardship keeps both people and bears safe.