Formosan Black Bear - Endangered Species

Endangered Species

From 1998 to 2000, there were fifteen Formosan black bears captured and radio collared in Yushan National Park. Reported bear sightings are very low and no one knows exactly how many of them still exist. The species has been legally protected since 1989 but illegal hunting continues and such poaching continues to threaten Formosan black bear populations. For example, eight of fifteen bears captured in a survey had missing toes or paws, caused by illegal traps.

Since 1989, Formosan black bears were listed as endangered animals and protected by Taiwan's Cultural Heritage Preservation Law (Traditional Chinese: 文化資產保存法). Internationally, this species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. CITES bans all international trade of any products from this species. The Formosan black bear is also on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) which declares that these bears are vulnerable to extinction.

An indigenous Bunun hunter once said, "If there were no bears in the mountains, the forest would look empty and I would feel lonely." Mei-Hsiu Hwang of Institute of Wildlife Conservation, a campaigner for black-bear preservation, also said: "We do not wish to lose this soul of Taiwan's mountains. We do not wish our offspring to see them only in the zoo or in history books."

There is still hope for the Formosan black bear. In 2009,Lin Yuan-Yuan (a member of Yushan National Park black-bear conservation group) witnessed and recorded a film showing a mother bear attempting to help her two cubs to cross a rapid near Batongguan Historic Trail (八通關古道) in the eastern section of Tafen (塔芬). Just like Lin— a Bunun hunter who has become a park ranger in Yushan National Park — everyone should chime in on the conservation effort. Only then, can success be declared in the black bear conservation project.