Governor Yamamoto unveils the Bear Tackling Squad (BTS) to bolster regional safety efforts.

According to Mainichi Shimbun on the 16th, Gunma Prefecture announced on the 14th that it had appointed a civil servant with a hunting license and more than 20 years of field experience as a Bear-Capture Measures Specialist to bolster bear-response efforts. The appointee is from the Tomioka Forest Office.

Ichita Yamamoto, governor of Gunma Prefecture, said, “I considered the title for the position,” and announced that the unit would be named BTS, short for Bear Tackling Squad. He added that he hopes Gunma Prefecture’s BTS will play a role in regional safety.

The appointee is Hiroyuki Nakayama, a 48-year-old section chief at the Tomioka Forest Office, who earned his hunting license in 2003 and has steadily accumulated experience hunting bears, wild boars, and deer. He is also active as a shooting instructor and is regarded as highly skilled.

Nakayama said, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to apply hunting experience that started as a hobby to forest management,” and added, “I will do my best.”