Rehabilitated 20-year-old Formosan black bear released into the wild

Taipei, Nov. 15 (CNA) A Formosan black bear between 18 and 22 years old was returned to the wild on Tuesday after being rehabilitated for an injury, making it the oldest bear to ever be rescued and released by the Forest and Nature Conservation Agency.

In a press release Wednesday, the agency's Taitung branch office said a resident of Kanding Tribal Village in Haiduan Township had reported finding the bear with its foot caught in a trap near Hongshi Industrial Road in June.

The bear, which the man gave the Bunun name "Hundiv," was taken to a rehabilitation center, where it was treated for a puncture wound on its left front paw that had become infected, the agency said.

During its four-plus months at the center, Hundiv gained 9 kilograms, rising to a weight of 89 kg, and regained the ability to run and climb at a level necessary to survive in the wild, the forestry agency said.

In a video of its release on Tuesday, the bear can be seen cautiously emerging from a crate and turning to look at the workers behind it, before sprinting off into the forest.

The forestry office said it had received the first signal from the bear's GPS tracking device that afternoon and will continue monitoring the bear for the next year to ensure it doesn't try to enter any villages in the area.

Lin Meng-yi (林孟怡), head of the Taitung office's nature conservation division, said Hundiv's estimated age of 18-22 years makes it the oldest Formosan black bear ever rehabilitated and released by the agency.

Formosan black bears have an average lifespan of 25-30 years.

Speaking to reporters, Lin said Hundiv's rescue was a sign of the commitment of many Indigenous communities to bear conservation.

Kanding Village, a Bunun community, was the first tribal village in Taitung County to join a grant-based government program that helps monitor bear habitats, remove illegal traps, and offer rewards for those who report injured bears, Lin said.