From Foe to Fortune: Living with Nuisance Wildlife

Overview

In Japan's rapidly aging mountain villages, the animals are taking over. The remaining farmers feel defenseless against wild boars, monkeys and other creatures that eat crops and destroy fields. Many have turned to Masane, a nuisance-animal researcher and expert in wildlife control, whose methods focus on changing human behavior. In some villages, residents are revitalizing the community and strengthening bonds among neighbors by transforming a problem into a community asset.