Our department focuses on management of mammalian and avian wildlife. One group conducts research, development, and demonstration of technologies to manage and control the wildlife damage problems in agriculture. Another group specializes in hygiene and biosecurity measures against wildlife-related diseases in the livestock industry.

❖ Wildlife Damage Management Group

• Our group conducts research, development, and demonstration of technologies to manage and control the wildlife damage problems in agriculture. In particular, we conduct research on techniques to detect harmful animal species or individuals using environmental DNA or stable isotope analysis, techniques to estimate the amount of damage using drones, and countermeasure technologies based on the elucidation of animals' behavior.
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    We have started to develop techniques to determine the species which ate the crop from remaining saliva on the bite marks by environmental DNA analysis.
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    The experiment to investigate the sizes of gaps that allow Sika deer to enter
  • (YouTube 10 min., in Japanese)

    Video installation manual for the technique to prevent crows from orchards

❖ Wildlife Biosecurity Management Group

• Our group specializes in hygiene and biosecurity management measures around farms, aiming to stabilize and promote the livestock industry. Our main focus is on managing or controlling infectious diseases in livestock, such as Classical swine fever (CSF), African swine fever (ASF), and Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). We conduct research, development, and demonstration of technologies to manage and control the transmission of these diseases from wildlife to farms, including understanding the dynamics of wildlife around farms and techniques to prevent their intrusion and approach.
  In particular, for CSF, we conduct research on efficient methods for attracting wild boars and distributing oral vaccines. For ASF, we focus on proper disposal methods for wild boar carcasses in forest. Our research approaches farm hygiene and biosecurity management from the perspective of wildlife management.
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    Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is entering the farm through the animal fence
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    Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is eating the CSF oral vaccine

  ❖ Staff

  • YAMAGUCHI Yasuhiro (Director)
    • Wildlife Damage Management Group
      • YOSHIDA Hoshiko (Leader)
      • UEDA Hironori
      • TAKEUCHI Masahiko
      • ISHIKAWA Keisuke
      • DOYAMA Soichiro
      • KOZAKAI Chinatsu
      • NAKAMURA Daisuke
      • MASHIKO Miyuki
      • HATA Ayaka
    • Wildlife Biosecurity Management Group
      • HIRATA Shigeki (Leader)
      • FUJIMOTO Ryusuke
      • KOIZUMI Ryoko
      • ENDO Tomohiko
    • Research Assistant
      • SAEKI Midori
      • SAKAMOTO Yukari