MATSUMOTO, Nagano Prefecture--Hikers eager to savor fresh, cool mountain air and breathtaking scenery are descending on Kamikochi in central Japan now that summer has arrived.

As with any wilderness area, certain precautions need to be taken, not only to protect visitors but also wildlife.

The remote highland valley, gateway to the Northern Japan Alps, is bear country, and visitors are warned accordingly.

They are also advised to watch out for other species that have become used to having humans around.

Surprisingly, crows are at the top of the pecking order because they have gotten into the habit of snatching snacks from visitors.

The wily birds seem to swoop down out of nowhere when food is around.

“A favorite target of crows is a bag from a convenience store,” said Yasuhiro Kamijo, president of Tokusawa-en, which runs a camp site and lodging in Kamikochi’s Tokusawa district.

The birds wait patiently day after day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening, for the opportunity to snatch food from an unsuspecting visitor, Kamijo said.

“Perched on the branch of a tree, they make a beeline for food by practically dive-bombing to get what they want,” he said.

Complaints about aggressive crow behavior have become more common in the Tokusawa and Myojin districts over the past two years, according to the Environment Ministry’s Kamikochi Ranger Office.

At least two people have been injured in the face or hand by bird claws during food grabs over this period. Crows usually sneak up from behind and at an angle.

The number of troublesome crows is believed to be less than 10, according to rangers.

“The birds are attacking people for food because they have learned they are capable of stealing human food,” said Sota Matsuno, a national park ranger.

The Kamikochi Ranger Office is considering a crow cull because people have been injured. Rangers try to scare them away with air guns when they are on patrol.

Crows flying off to their forest nests with their ill-gotten gains is also a matter of concern, rangers said, because other animals that scour the forest floor for food scraps may remember the taste and begin searching for more human food.

“The fact is that monkeys and bears can learn to do the same and come foraging for human food,” Matsuno said.

In 2020, a woman was injured when a bear attacked her tent at a camp site in Kamikochi.

The bear is thought to have been after food the woman had inside the tent.

After the incident, locals and campers went to great lengths to ensure that no food or garbage is left unsecured.

In 2023, visitor numbers to Kamikochi topped 1.32 million, exceeding the pre-pandemic level.

Feeding wildlife and dumping garbage are a big no-no because of the negative consequences for animals. It could cause them to adopt new diets and start foraging for food where humans congregate.

Efforts are being made to help avoid that scenario.

In May, the Environment Ministry held a workshop for hotel staff in Kamikochi to educate them about the ecology of wildlife. The session is part of a series.

“Bears in Kamikochi feed on leaves, insects and acorns, not what is grown in farm fields,” said Sohei Katori, a ranger at the Kamikochi branch of the Natural Parks Foundation, explaining the animals’ specialized diets. “They live in an environment that is quite different from an undeveloped woodland near a populated area.”

The ministry hopes that hotel guests will heed instructions from hotel employees already briefed about dealing with wild animals through these sessions.

Reports on bear sightings in Kamikochi surged to 183 in 2023 after hovering at around 50 annually until 2018.

Ministry officials said none of the bears is known to have eaten food left by people and only those without a strong fear of humans repeatedly wander into areas close to where people are present.

Signs dot mountain trails as well as bells to ring when a bear is spotted.

At the workshop, Katori emphasized the importance of making sure that no scraps of human food are left for wild animals to feed on.

Once bears gain access to human food, he said they will likely find high-calorie diets “irresistible.” Some bears, unable to suppress their desire for human food, could end up in conflict with people.

“Bears have lived in the nature-rich Kamikochi since ancient times,” he said. “We need to remind ourselves that we humans are the ones intruding into their habitat.”