TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Formosan black bear will be permanently housed at Taipei Zoo after repeatedly getting closer to people in Hualien, ending efforts to reintroduce it into the wild, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said Tuesday.
The agency cited the bear’s repeated visiting of areas with people, its status as an adult male, and a growing Formosan black bear population in eastern Taiwan as reasons for the decision. It will not be released again to prevent further conflicts with local communities, according to CNA.
The bear first appeared in Zhuoxi Township in October 2024, breaking into poultry farms and killing numerous chickens. It was captured in November after deterrence measures proved ineffective and released back into the wild the following month.
Three months later, the bear returned to the same area and was again briefly held. Forestry officials carried out two rounds of aversion conditioning, using live poultry scenarios and non-injurious electric stimulation to discourage it from approaching human settlements.
The bear was released for a second time on July 9. Satellite tracking showed it initially stayed in forest areas.
By September, it gradually moved closer to human activity, ultimately coming within 400 meters of Chinan National Forest Recreation Area and about one kilometer from Liyu Lake in October. Its presence near water pipeline construction and mining sites raised safety concerns, prompting temporary work suspensions.
By early November, the bear had returned to Zhuoxi Township, where it raided three chicken coops. Forestry officials said the surrounding mountainous terrain, though rising only slightly above 300 m, is steep and densely forested, allowing the bear to remain concealed during the day and forage at night.
Despite repeated deterrence efforts in cooperation with the Kuan-Shu Educational Foundation and the I-Mei Environmental Protection Foundation, including drones with real-time positioning and remotely controlled high-decibel sound devices, the measures provided only short-term displacement. The bear frequently moved within 120-250 m of the local Indigenous settlement and occasionally preyed on poultry, raising concerns.
During the capture, safety snares were set up in the bear’s activity hotspots, while satellite tracking allowed real-time monitoring. At night, community patrols checked the areas surrounding homes to ensure safety.
After more than 10 days of trying, the bear was successfully captured on Monday morning. Wildlife veterinarians sedated and examined the bear, confirming it was healthy and weighed 112 kilograms.
Since facilities for large animals at existing wildlife shelters were temporarily full, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency arranged for Taipei Zoo to house the bear, which was safely transported there in the evening.
