The research findings of Mr. Kazushi MASUDA, a master's course student at the SmaSo, and Prof. Masahide NISHIBORI from the SmaSo and the Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, were featured in the morning edition of the Chugoku Shinbun (local newspaper) on November 7, 2023.

In recent days, there have been a series of human injuries caused by Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) in various regions of Japan. The research conducted by Mr. Masuda, Prof. Nishibori, and their colleagues involves the detection of black bear's DNA from the atmosphere and estimating the population and distribution of black bears based on the quantity of DNA detected. This research is expected to contribute to developing a Japanese black bear prediction system for their appearance and disappearance. In the future, they aim to create a forecast map for brown bear sightings applying this research finding.