Rausu Wildlife: Land
Wildlife thrives in Shiretoko’s remote mountains and forests, where strict conservation measures contribute to healthy wildlife populations and natural habitat preservation. During a trip to Rausu, visitors may encounter large mammals such as bears and deer, along with a host of other smaller mammals such as foxes, hares, stoats, and Siberian chipmunks.
Brown bears
Shiretoko is home to one of the largest population densities of brown bears in the world. The population is supported by abundant food sources and a healthy natural habitat. Bears in Shiretoko have access to grasses and flowering plants in the mountains, nuts and berries in the forests, salmon in the streams, and seals and other mammals along the coast.
Encountering bears in the wild should be avoided, and visitors should plan appropriately for treks. Boat tours, however, allow visitors to view the bears at a safe distance. Tours operate along the Shiretoko shoreline where the large mammals forage for food from spring to autumn.
Deer
Deer are common in the Shiretoko forests and are often sighted. Look out for them along the Bokyo no Mori trekking trails. Patches of flattened grass indicate the recent presence of resting deer. Be especially careful when driving in the area, as deer sometimes bound out of the woodland onto the road.
Other wildlife
Foxes tend to roam residential areas at night and are somewhat used to human presence. However, glimpses of smaller mammals are likely to be brief due to their tendency to scurry away at the sound of human activity.