Hunter captures rare images of bear mother with cubs｜Taiwan News
A mama bear and her two cubs have recently been spotted around Alishan in Chiayi. As part of a project by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, a Tsou hunter set out to capture their whereabouts on camera. Lookouts were installed around their potential stomping grounds on Xingaoko Mountain between Chiayi and Nantou. In June and July, bears were even glimpsed as far away as the Kaohsiung mountains.
Through infrared cameras set up in the mountains, you can see a mama bear leading her two cubs through the forest. You can also see a male bear standing on his hind legs to dig honey out of a tree. The footage clearly shows that black bears are active in these mountains.
Hsu Yu-ching
Forestry Agency Chiayi branch
The photos and videos show that the bears are in good condition, their health and coat color, as well as body condition are relatively healthy.
To improve understanding of these creatures in mountain communities and recruit their help in conservation efforts, the Forestry Agency starting last year distributed automatic infrared wildlife cameras to people living in Formosan black bear hotspots. Any images captured in these areas could get a reward of up to NT$50,000 each time.
Hsu Yu-ching
Forestry Agency Chiayi branch
The area from Alishan to Tataka has 40 cameras set up.
Bears were not only caught on camera on Chiayi’s Xingaokou Mountain. In June, they were even photographed in the mountains of Maolin in Kaohsiung, marking the first time this year they were spotted in the municipality. It shows significant improvement in Taiwan’s conservation efforts.
Lu Hui-hsuan
Maolin Wanshan Community Development Association
Black bears can be found in our area. We want to find a way to coexist together, humans and bears.
The Formosan black bear is a beloved animal. Through programs like this that capture their images, conservationists can not only better understand their numbers, distribution, and activity, but also decrease conflict with humans and share the fruits of conservation.
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