Formosan black bears spotted near populated areas for first time

Taipei, Feb. 14 (CNA) A Formosan black bear and a cub were spotted crossing Provincial Highway No. 9 in Hualien County on Sunday, the first ever sighting of the endemic species near a populated area, local conservation authorities said Friday.

A driver surnamed Pan (潘) reported that he spotted a cub running along the highway around 5 a.m. on Sunday between Wuhe and Sanmin villages in Hualien's Yuli Township, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's Hualien branch said in a statement Friday.

The cub crossed the highway and joined an adult bear, with both moving toward nearby Xiuguluan River, Pan told the agency's Hualien branch and provided a dashcam recording of the cub, according to the statement.

Officials went to the location where Pan saw the bears on Monday and found bear footprints and feces, confirming the sighting as the first ever recorded in an area with frequent traffic, the Hualien branch said.

This also provides evidence that the bears are moving beyond their mountainous habitat, according to the statement.

The Hualien branch said drivers traveling on the highway which goes through eastern Taiwan should be aware of bears south of Ruisui, and not approach, feed or chase them in the event of a sighting.

Also on Friday, the agency's Taitung branch released a 7-second dashcam video of another Formosan black bear running on an industry road called Lijia Forest Road near the 3.5-kilometer mark recently.

The video provided by a taxi driver surnamed Lee (李) shows the Formosan black bear closer to a populated area then ever previously reported, with farms and an Indigenous village nearby, the Taitung branch told CNA.

The sighting also indicated the bears are moving closer to villages below an altitude of 500 meters in some places, the Taitung branch said in a statement Friday.

Since a Formosan black bear conservation scheme was launched in 2022, local residents have submitted 39 video clips of the species, the Taitung branch said.

The eight reported sightings in 2024 were the highest in a year since the launch of the scheme, under which people who report bears entering farms or farmhouses can receive NT$3,000 (US$91.74) as a reward.

Both branches have sent staff to remind residents in related areas how to treat food waste and store feed, as well as what to do if they encounter bears, they said.