A Formosan black bear that had previously been caught and released in Hualien County was recaptured weighing 28kg less than when it was last seen, raising concerns about its ability to survive on its own, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) said yesterday.
The agency trapped Da Qu-ali (達古阿里), which had been scavenging for food in Yuli Township (玉里), on a fruit farm at about 6am yesterday, FANCA Hualien Branch Deputy Director Chu Yi-chien (朱懿千) said.
A WildOne Wildlife Conservation Association veterinarian who examined the bear found it weighted 63kg, down from the 91kg recorded when it was released on Dec. 4 last year, Chu said.
Photo courtesy of the Nature Conservation Agency Hualien Branch
The vet also found that it had sustained wounds in its left hind leg after having recovered from previous injuries, she said.
Whether the bear would be returned to the wild or receive long-term care in a facility would be determined after a thorough physical checkup, she said.
Da Qu-ali was first rescued by FANCA in late March last year after it repeatedly trespassed in areas near human settlements in Yuli.
After eight months of physical therapy, it was returned to the wild with a satellite tracker around his neck.
The FANCA Hualien Branch said the bear was observed to have entered Yushan National Park, presumably to establish a wintering site.
Da Qu-ali started to relocate early last month before being detected entering areas under the agency’s electronic surveillance, with sightings of it reported over the past 10 days.
The Hualien office previously said that judging by images from cameras, the bear might have become weaker after losing weight from wintering and struggling to find food due to the new leg injury.
On Monday last week, teachers at Yuancheng Elementary School in Yuli reported that a black bear, later confirmed to be Da Qu-ali, had been spotted entering school grounds on Feb. 27.
On Tuesday last week, the bear was discovered to have been scavenging on fruit farms, going as far as to eat rotten meat used to lure fruit flies.
To avoid an encounter with local residents, after images of the bear taken by a member of the public showed it limping and seemingly smaller and weak, the branch office launched the operation to trap it on Sunday before its capture yesterday.
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