From spring to fall, wildlife becomes more active and various plant life thrives and grows. There have been reports of the following animal and plant life on the MCT. Please take extra care to avoid dangerous situations and pay attention to your surroundings when walking on the trail.
Also make sure to bring first-aid supplies (such as poison removers) with you.
-How to steer clear of dangerous wildlife and plant life along the trail-
■Black Bears■
-Make your presence known by making noise (ex. radio, talking, singing, using a bear bell) while hiking.
-Avoid waking at dawn and dusk when bears are most active.
-Do not leave food or garbage.
-If you see a bear cub, never try to approach it! The mother will probably be around to protect it. Be especially careful about this during the spring season.
↓Bear scat
↓Bear footprints
■Snakes■
-Do not poke with a stick or other objects. Wait for the snake to leave the trail.
■Bees■
-If you see bees, don’t do anything to excite them. (Refrain from swatting or flailing your arms)
■Ticks■
-Wear long pants, socks, and long-sleeved shirts (Tuck your shirt into pants and tuck your pants into your boots or socks).
-Use insect repellent.
-Check yourself (clothing, shoes, and other equipment) occasionally for ticks.
■Leeches■
-Wear long pants, socks, and long-sleeved shirts (Tuck your shirt into pants and tuck your pants into boots or socks).
-Apply or spray alcohol, mint spray or leech repellent.
■Poison Fire Coral (Kaen-take)■
This bright red mushroom looks like a series of fingered hands emerging from the soil. This mushroom resembles other red mushrooms which are commonly seen in grassy areas, but the poison fire coral is very poisonous. Just touching this mushroom is dangerous. If you see it, don’t panic, but don’t go near it.
There are other various poisonous mushrooms on the MCT. It’s very difficult to tell between different mushroom species, so as a general rule, please do not touch any of them.
Poisonous mushrooms (Japanese, Japan Mushroom Center)
Supplemental information on dangerous plant life (Japanese)
(Japanese post https://m-tc.org/news/attention/2227/)