Efforts to capture black bear launched after it is seen limping

Taipei, March 9 (CNA) The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said Sunday it launched an operation to capture a Formosan black bear wearing an electronic collar around its neck, after the animal was spotted limping in Yuli Township, Hualien County, to check on its health.

Following sightings of the bear over the past 10 days, it has been identified as Da qu-ali (達古阿里) and determined that the animal was released into the wild last year after being injured and rescued earlier that year, the agency's Hualien Branch said.

The latest operation was launched to avoid an encounter with local residents after images of the bear captured by a member of the public showed the animal limping and seemingly smaller and weak, the branch office said.

After being released into the wild in early December, Da qu-ali returned to its wintering site in the Central Mountain Range where it spent the winter of 2023. However, the bear left the wintering site in early February and has since moved closer to lower mountainous areas, according to the branch office.

On Feb. 21, Da qu-ali entered a preset electronic fence area installed by the agency and has since gradually moved closer to the mountain settlement in Yuli, prompting the activation of an emergency response operation to closely track its movements, the branch office said.

On March 3, teachers at Yuancheng Elementary School in Yuli reported that a black bear was spotted entering the grounds on Feb. 27. After analyzing satellite positioning signals, it was confirmed to be Da gu-ali.

The branch office said that judging by images from automatic cameras, the bear is clearly thinner than when it was released into the wild. It is believed the animal might have become weaker after wintering and had difficulty finding food due to a leg injury.

Once the bear is captured, a physical checkup will be conducted and an assessment made as to whether it should be re-released into the wild, the agency said.