Asian black bear
Five black bear populations, occurring in Kyushu, Shikoku, West-Chugoku, East-Chugoku and Kii areas, were listed as endangered by the Environmental Agency in the Japanese Red Data Book in 1991. Small isolated populations in the Tanzawa and Shimokita areas of mainland Honshū were listed as endangered in 1995. Beyond recognising these populations as endangered, there is still a lack of efficient conservation methods for Japanese black bears.
Bear conservation
Of the world’s eight existing bear species, except for the brown bear ("Ursus arctos") and the American black bear ("U. americanus"), the other six, that is, are threatened according to the IUCN Red List. However, even species of "least concern" such as the brown bear, although not considered to be at risk in North America and parts of Europe and the former Soviet Union, are at risk of extirpation in certain countries or regions.