“Mouse” in a residential area in Japan and China Changes behavior due to restraint of restaurant business? May 7 14:12

Since last month when the emergency was declared, SNS has posted videos such as witnessing a mouse during the day in a residential area, and experts have changed their behavior of mice by refraining from doing business at restaurants and going out. There is a possibility that

Of these, the video posted on Twitter shows a mouse eating grass during the day.

According to the man in his 40s who took the picture, I witnessed the mouse around 11 am on the 19th of last month in a residential area in Nerima-ku, Tokyo. I did not say that.

The man said, "I've seen a mouse in a downtown area, but I've never seen it around here, so I thought it was unusual. I felt that when humans were inactive, mice would move so actively. I was talking. "

In addition, a mouse that was said to have been taken at an intersection near a station in Machida City, Tokyo at 5 pm on the 26th of last month, and on a sidewalk in a residential area in Gunma Prefecture and an irrigation channel in Toyama City on the evening of 3rd of this month. A photo of a mouse that was said to have been posted.

Mr. Riki Tanikawa, chairman of the "rat extermination council", which is made by nationwide extermination companies, says, "While the restaurant is self-restraining, there is less garbage in the downtown area, and we are moving to a residential area for food. There is a possibility that a mouse may transmit an infectious disease, so we have to consider measures. ”

A behavioral survey of mice as they scoop up garbage in downtown areas

Experts are beginning to investigate changes in mouse behavior in downtown downtown areas.

This month, Associate Professor Yasushi Kiyokawa of the University of Tokyo, who is studying the behavior of mice and a "mouse extermination council" created by exterminators, walked in downtown Tokyo and observed the movements of mice.

According to Professor Kiyokawa and others, mice are nocturnal, and usually become active after dark, but in the survey on this day, they appeared on the road in only 30 minutes from 5:30 pm. I confirmed at least 5 mice that are rubbing.

Associate professor Kiyokawa said, "I'm hungry because I'm eating things I don't usually eat, and I'm moving at times I don't usually see. I wonder if mice are moving in search of food. , Or I want to find out if I'm hungry and dead. "

The Mouse Exterminator Association and Associate Professor Kiyokawa will be conducting a survey of exterminators throughout the country, and will collaborate with researchers overseas to investigate changes in mouse behavior.

Behavioral changes in mice Even in large commercial facilities that are closed

Changes in the behavior of mice are also seen in large commercial facilities that are temporarily closed.

According to a company that mainly exterminates mice in the Tokyo metropolitan area, we placed a capture device for 8 days at 42 stores in a large commercial facility in Tokyo to promote extermination during temporary closures, and a total of 61 It means that "black rat" was captured.

In March before the temporary closure, it was said that 6 animals were captured at night once for 6 hours of extermination, but it is possible that the rodent's vigilance is relaxed due to the fact that no one comes in and out. This company sees that there is also.

In another commercial facility, "Rattus norvegicus", which is said to rarely enter the building, is also captured.

Mitsunori Yokoyama, head of technology at the extermination company, said, "I think we are starting to hunt everywhere in search of food. I want to catch as many as I can so that I can't get into ordinary households."

Behavioral changes in wildlife Haunting cities in cities overseas

Changes in the behavior of wild animals have also been confirmed overseas, and they often appear and disappear in urban areas where people normally do not approach, in search of food.

In England, a group of deer appears 20 kilometers away from London in the suburbs, sitting on the grass in a residential area, and in the Middle East in Israel, a group of wild boars appears in the town, ruining trash and flower beds. Has been confirmed.

In Chile, South America, at least four pumas inhabiting the mountains have appeared in the mountains of Santiago, where the number of people has been reduced since the restrictions on going out in March this year, and two of them have entered houses. The place was captured.

The local authorities who captured them said, "It's a very rare phenomenon. I wondered if I came to find food in a town without people because of restrictions on going out."

Similar to Japan in the world, wild animals have entered the human sphere of life in search of food, causing damage to trash and crops.

With this outing restriction, people will not be visible in the human living area for a long time and it will not be possible to exterminate it sufficiently, so after the outbreak restriction is lifted after the spread of the new coronavirus infection has subsided It is feared that coexistence between humans and wild animals will become more difficult in the future, as wild animals may repeatedly appear and disappear.

Expert “Wildlife restrictions limit the number of sightings in the town”

For many years, Professor Marco Apolonio of the University of Sassari in Italy, who has been studying the ecology of wild animals in various parts of Europe and monitoring their habitat etc., has become restricted due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection. Since then, he has pointed out that the number of wildlife sighting cases has increased.

Regarding the effects of the new coronavirus, Professor Apolonio said, "Going out restrictions ban people from going out, leaving people out of the town, and nothing else to disturb animals. This is immediately recognized by wild animals, and, I'm adapting my behavior. Obviously, the number of sightings in the city is increasing. "

Regarding the behavior of wild animals when people go back to town after the restrictions on going out are removed, Professor Apollonio said, `` Once animals have learned once, they will come out in the town without concern, It's hard to get into action, and the new coronavirus makes it harder for people to coexist with wildlife, '' he said, learning that food is easily available in town during restricted periods. If you do, he said that there is a possibility that you may continue to appear.