TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Two Formosan black bears were released into the wild Tuesday, a day after being caught in traps 10 meters apart in Taitung.

A village patrol in Taoyuan in Yanping discovered the male and female bears on Monday afternoon. They alerted the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, per CNA.

The agency’s veterinarians found the bears only slightly injured at the scene. Forty onlookers withdrew to a safe distance as the agency allowed the bears to remain in the same spot after being tranquilized.

The two bears, weighing 60 kilograms and 43 kg respectively, were allowed back into the forest after waking up Tuesday. It marked the first time two Formosan black bears were released back into nature simultaneously.

The village patrol group returned to the site to look for additional bear traps. Taiwan's Formosan black bear population, between 200 and 600 bears, has been expanding, driving more animals to lower altitudes to scour for food.