A patrolman shot and killed a Formosan black bear in self defense last night, after it turned on the man who saw it attacking a dog in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪).
The patrolman immediately reported the incident to the Hualien branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency.
Foresters said they transferred the bear to the WildOne Wildlife Hospital in Taitung County.
Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency
However, the bear had to be euthanized, as it had sustained serious injuries, including lung collapse, internal bleeding and spinal fractures which led to paralysis in its back legs, the agency said.
Since April 11, a bear wearing a GPS collar affixed by researchers had been observed wandering near the Bunun village of Sinkan.
It earlier this month attacked a chicken coop, eating more than 10 chickens and the guard dog.
In response, the agency personnel and village patrols took turns conducting night patrols of the area, with agency personnel carrying firearms due to the bear’s unusually aggressive behavior.
A sighting was reported to the Hualien branch at about 9:40pm last night after a dog was heard howling near a residence, the agency said.
Patrol personnel went to investigate and discovered the bear next to a chicken coop attacking a black dog after having already eaten a goose.
The bear turned aggressively toward them after they shouted at it, leading the patrolman to instinctively open fire, the agency said.
According to villagers, the Formosan black bear is a friend of the Bunun, and shooting one is forbidden in their culture.
Villagers are to perform a memorial ritual this afternoon to atone for the shooting, they said.
Jhuosi Township Mayor Huang Pin-lun (黃品綸) announced news of the bear’s capture this morning and expressed apologies to the villagers for the fear and disruption caused by the recent bear sightings.
He urged people to be cautious when heading into the mountains and to report any bear sightings to the agency’s Yuli workstation.
The Hualien branch has been working with the Formosan Wild Sound Conservation Science Center since 2020 to monitor Formosan black bears in Jhuosi Township, branch Director Huang Chun-tse (黃群策) said.
So far, 76 sightings have been recorded of 23 bears, he said.
The agency has installed motion-sensor lights near homes, distributed bear deterrent kits including firecrackers, air horns and bells, and increased communication with local residents, advising them to remove or relocate any items that might attract bears, he added.
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