Weasels pop up to delight Hokkaido hotel guests

Tuesday, March 13th, 2007 at 5:05 am

Aren’t these little creatures just so cute? I wish I could take a quick trip to Tsubetsu just to get a look at them in person

When we were holidaying in Langkawi, a small town in Malaysia, a few years ago, I noticed from the hotel’s pamphlet about local animals that sea otters were around by the walkboards along the coast.

I hunted high and low and asked the staff if there were any otters only to be told that they aren’t around at that time of year, so I was really disappointed.

I managed to see otters at Seaworld there but it’s not quite the same when they are behind glass. Still, I guess it was better than nothing!

TSUBETSU, Hokkaido — Weasels are beginning to attract attention in the snow-blanketed town of Tsubetsu in Hokkaido by showing up outside a hotel and nibbling up food in full view of guests.

The furry creatures, known as Ezo sables, have been appearing one after the other between dusk and dawn as they search for food left out for birds in the hotel’s front garden.

An Ezo sable stands up on its hind legs in the town of Tsubetsu in Hokkaido.

They do not appear afraid when people stand looking at them several dozen centimeters away from the hotel’s windows, but seem wary of meeting up with other Ezo sables, and sometimes stand up on guard on their hind legs.

Ezo sables are an Asian version of the sable, a member of the weasel family. They are between about 30 and 50 centimeters long. Most of them live in dense forests in eastern and northern Hokkaido. The noctural animals, which are usually easily frightened, feed on small animals, such as mice, and fruit. (Mainichi)