A black bear was found in a trap this morning in Chiayi County’s Alishan Township (阿里山), Chiayi County Councilor Wu Ching-shan (武清山) said today, after a series of sightings in recent weeks.
The Chiayi branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said it was alerted immediately and dispatched personnel from the local work station to monitor the situation.
Veterinarians were also dispatched from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute in Nantou County’s Jiji Township (集集) to assess the bear’s health and condition, it said.
Photo courtesy of Chiayi County Councilor Wu Ching-shan
As the bear has been roaming too close to human settlements, posing a risk to lives and property, it is to be released into a remote area to ensure the safety of the local community, it added.
From Dec. 31 until Tuesday, nine bear sightings have been reported around Dabang (達邦), Leye (樂野) and Lijia (里佳) villages, the office said, adding that residents have also reported damage to beehives and food being rummaged from construction site refrigerators.
Locals reported that a bear had broken into workers’ sheds in Dabang Village on Jan. 3 and 4, while bear droppings and tracks were spotted in vegetable patches in Lijia, it said.
On Jan. 17, a resident of Dabang’s Daptuana area reported that a beehive had been dragged, damaged and gnawed on by a bear, it added.
The next day, the branch captured infrared images of the bear.
As the animal had a distinctive white patch above its left eye, experts believe it is the same bear that was spotted on Jan. 3, it said.
The office said it then launched monitoring and trapping operations, setting up two live-capture traps with longan honey, bananas and wild winter honey as bait, and enlisted the Cou Hunters Association for assistance.
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