•Publication Date：04/09/2014
•Source： Taiwan Today
Two Formosan black bears were recently photographed on four daytime occasions in Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area in central Taiwan, evidence that conservation efforts to preserve local biological diversity has paid off, the Forestry Bureau under the ROC Council of Agriculture said April 8.
The images of the bears were captured in February and March by infra-red cameras set alongside disused logging trails by professor Hwang Mei-hsiu of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Institute of Wildlife Conservation to survey the local population.
One of the bears is estimated to weigh between 100 and 120 kilograms, while the other, at 70 kilograms. They both appeared lively and in perfect health when seen in coniferous and broad-leaf forest at an elevation of about 2,000 meters.
The bureau said that the bears tend to be become more diurnal if less disturbed by humans, so the daytime captures indicate that the bears feel comfortable in the park. The bureau added that forest workers and park visitors have repeatedly sighted the animals during daytime.
According to the bureau, the bears are omnivorous, with vegetation as their main diet, and are usually found at medium or higher elevations in deciduous or mixed coniferous and broad-leaf mountain forests. Born with keen hearing and sense of smell, they usually avoid contact with humans and escape the scene when sensing danger.
The Formosan black bear, Ursus thibetanus formosanus, Taiwan’s only endemic bear species, is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the Red List of the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Under domestic law, violators who hunt, capture or otherwise mistreat the bears are subject to a sentence of not more than five years in prison, as well as a fine of NT$1.5 million (US$49,500), the bureau said.
