Tracking in Taiwan shows black bears approaching settlements — Taipei Times
In Taiwan, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has for the first time released tracking data on Formosan black bears that were returned to the wild. The records showed that the animals approach human settlements more closely than previously believed, Taipei Times reports. According to the agency, the bears move from mountainous areas to low hills near communities, leading to an increase in human-bear conflicts.
Two bears — Da Ku-ali and Aziman — were captured in Indigenous villages in Hualien County. After being released into the wild, the animals were tracked using satellite collars with cameras. Footage shows Da Ku-ali eating a sambar carcass and the remains of a Formosan serow leg, searching for food in garbage, eating leftovers from lunchboxes, and roaming near betel nut plantations, farm buildings and fruit orchards.
Early warning systems
Agency Director-General Lin Hua-ching said that AI-based monitoring and early warning systems have been introduced in high-risk areas. They operate, in particular, near the Jiaming Lake shelter and Xiangyang Cabin in Taitung County, as well as in the Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taichung. According to him, the system is intended to send alerts within two minutes of detecting bear activity.
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Bear-resistant garbage containers and electric fences have also been installed around mountain communities. The agency plans to distribute guidance on what to do during possible bear encounters among communities and schools near areas of bear activity. The agency urged visitors to mountain areas to properly handle garbage, especially food and kitchen waste, so as not to attract the animals.
First recorded wintering
In another video, Aziman entered a cave after being released in December 2024 and remained there for up to 70 days. The agency called this the first recorded case of winter behavior in a Formosan black bear. At the same time, Da Ku-ali did not display similar seasonal behavior.
Jiang Bo-ren, head of the conservation science center Formosan Wild Sound, who was responsible for the tracking, noted that bears learn to find places where they can easily obtain food. According to him, the center recorded a black bear catching a chicken in a large chicken coop in less than a minute and remaining near it for the following 15 days. In March, the agency estimated Taiwan's Formosan black bear population at approximately 1,200 individuals and said it planned to announce a more accurate estimate by the end of the year.
