Home / Environment / Mystery Food Dumps Threaten Daisen Wildlife
Mystery Food Dumps Threaten Daisen Wildlife
28 Aug
Summary
- 39 kg of bread and chicken livers were dumped illegally.
- The food was scattered conspicuously near Daisen's trailhead.
- Officials warn of potential harm to wildlife and people.
Since August 14th, a series of illegal dumping incidents involving large quantities of food has occurred along the prefectural Daisen ring road in Tottori. A total of 39 kilograms of bread, along with chicken livers, were found scattered over several days. The food was not hidden, but rather arranged conspicuously near the trailhead for Mount Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region.
Park management staff discovered the first bread dump on August 14th, finding 30 loaves weighing 16.7 kg. Subsequent discoveries over the following days included more bread and, on August 19th, five piles of fresh chicken livers. Officials suspect the food was intentionally left to feed wild animals.
This act has raised significant concerns. Shoichiro Hiraki, head of the foundation's Daisen work area, noted the deliberate placement suggests an intention to attract animals. With frequent sightings of deer and bears in the area, there is a fear that animals becoming accustomed to human food could lead to dangerous encounters with people or traffic accidents. The illegal dumping is considered particularly careless and hazardous given the proximity to a national park and hiking trails.
