TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Formosan black bear died after being freed from a trap in Taitung’s Beinan Township.
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency received a call on its 24-hour hotline from two members of the Indigenous Pinaski community. Members reported a moaning sound emanating from the forest on Monday morning, per CNA.
The Taitung branch mobilized 18 rescuers, who used a blowgun to anesthetize the 55 kg young male bear. The bear was taken to WildOne Wildlife Hospital in Chihshang.
The bear had developed sepsis due to an infection from the lasso trap and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The body of the black bear will be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Veterinary Research Institute for an autopsy.
The Taitung branch office stated that in recent years, the distribution of Formosan black bears has expanded from Haiduan and Yanping to Beinan and along the coast. They are getting closer to the plains.
The site where the bear was trapped was only 440 meters above sea level, 130 meters away from the nearest residence, and less than 3 kilometers from Provincial Highway 9. The bear's activity range is gradually overlapping with humans.
Efforts have been made to liaise with Indigenous communities to conserve Formosan black bears. Marketing promotion has also encouraged the public to report any incidents of trapped bears.
The Taitung branch will work to remove traps of unknown origin and upgrade hunting equipment that may injure bears. Although the bear could not be rescued, authorities are grateful to the Indigenous Pinaski community for reporting the incident.
The Taitung branch appealed to the public that if they encounter trapped wild animals, call the Taitung County Government’s Citizen Service Hotline 1999 or the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s 24-hour reporting hotline 0800-000-930. Accidentally catching or injuring a protected wild animal will not be prosecuted as long as it is reported immediately.
