After my visit to the Shiretoko Peninsula, my itinerary included a one-night stay in the Lake Akan resort area, a vacation spot popular among domestic as well as international tourists.
I
did not expect that I would have much opportunity to see any wildlife, but as
it turned out, the area is part of the Akan–Mashu National Park, and the hotel
where I stayed was located right next to a forested area. After checking in, I went for a late-afternoon
walk through the forest. Just as I was entering
the trail, I noticed a young deer at the edge of the hotel property. (See photo at top of this article.) Like the deer I saw at Shiretoko, this deer
did not appear to fear humans.
The
below photographs show what the forest and trail looked like. It was very peaceful and very beautiful.
I saw
a few Ezo squirrels, but because of the late afternoon’s low light conditions
and the squirrels’ extremely quick movements, it was very difficult to take a
photograph. Although I saw a number of
squirrels, the below photograph was the best that I could capture.
After
walking around for the better part of an hour, I came across a male deer that
quietly crossed the path in front of me.
After shooting a few frames, I noticed that nearby there was also a female
deer and a younger deer that appeared to be the one that I had photographed
near the hotel. Perhaps this was a
family of three.
I
was surprised by the number of animals I observed in the short amount of time
that I was in the Akan area. I was also
told by a local shopkeeper that Red foxes also make frequent, but
unpredictable, appearances around the town.
For those reasons, I’d like to visit this area again someday. Only next time, I’ll make sure I am here at
least for a couple of nights.
(Note:
All photos in this post were taken during a visit in September 2017. The comments in this post are based on
observations made at that time.
Conditions may have since changed.
Please check it out for yourself!)