Moving Toward Safe Coexistence: Reporting, Monitoring, and Removing Attractants

In April 2025, a gunshot rang out, and a Formosan black bear that was about to attack a human was shot and killed by a forest ranger. This incident highlighted the reality that the distance between black bears and humans is shrinking. This special report explores the serious issue of 'human-bear conflict' in Taiwan, focusing on the voices of villagers long troubled by bear raids, the history of bear sightings, Japan's experience with human-bear conflicts, expert analysis, and current government policies, all with the hope of finding a path toward 'safe human-bear coexistence.'

As the Formosan black bear population gradually recovers and expands into more areas, the overlap between human and bear activity spaces has become an unavoidable reality. The government has proposed incentive payments for 'voluntary reporting' and 'patrol monitoring,' while scholars suggest removing food attractants and installing electric fences to reduce the probability of conflict and move toward 'safe coexistence.'

Regarding the handling of bear intrusions, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) of the Ministry of Agriculture states that current efforts focus on driving bears away and managing the environment. Capture is only performed when necessary, followed by professional assessment and negative conditioning before release. For individuals that repeatedly disturb humans and pose a risk, long-term captivity is carefully considered.

Huang Chun-tse, head of the Hualien Branch of FANCA, noted that while countries like Europe, the US, and Japan have established assessment standards for releasing bears after capture, Taiwan previously lacked clear guidelines, often relying on case-by-case judgment. Over the past five years, as bear disturbances and rescue cases have occurred in Hualien, Taitung, Pingtung, Taichung, Hsinchu, Chiayi, and Nantou, Taiwan has gradually accumulated local experience in handling human-bear conflicts.

"Overall, the number of Formosan black bears is not large; they are still a minority population," Huang said. Therefore, whether it is a rescue due to injury or a disturbance, the ultimate goal is to release them back into the wild to encourage breeding. However, in the last two years, some cases have been found to be unsuitable for release.

For example, the 'Grandma Bear,' who loved honey, was found to be in poor health when she destroyed a plum vinegar brewery. She later went to steal honey and showed no fear of humans even when confronted by rangers and the beekeeper, leading to her classification as a 'problem bear' and subsequent capture. Examination revealed she was elderly, suffered from bone spurs and joint degeneration, and could no longer forage in the wild, necessitating rescue and long-term care.

'Daguali,' a male bear rescued twice in 2023 and 2024 after getting trapped near settlements, had lost toes on his front and back left paws. After rehabilitation, he was released a second time, but due to his thin physique and impaired mobility, he continued to enter orchards and schools near Yu-li Township. It was eventually determined he was unfit for wild survival and was placed in long-term care.

In 2024, a male bear named 'Aliman Siken' repeatedly raided chicken coops in Zhuoxi Township. Despite capture and relocation, he returned to the same area to steal chickens. After multiple failed attempts to drive him away, he was captured a second time and subjected to 'negative conditioning,' including rubber bullet shots and electric shocks when attempting to eat chickens. After a second release, he traveled from Zhuoxi to Shoufeng, only to return to Zhuoxi to raid chicken coops again, causing panic among the tribe. He was finally captured and placed in long-term care at the Taipei Zoo.

FANCA Director-General Lin Hua-ching explained that the 'Aliman incident' serves as a reminder of the need to improve release assessment and negative conditioning mechanisms, and to strengthen advocacy for environmental management in tribal areas. Furthermore, "the number of Formosan black bears will only increase in the future, so we must be prepared." Considering the potential increase in rescue and captivity needs, the agency is planning a long-term Formosan black bear captivity center in Taitung, which is expected to be completed within three years and can house at least 10 bears.

Lin stated that since 2022, the 'Formosan Black Bear Ecological Service Payment Demonstration Project' has been promoted to encourage community participation in bear conservation through 'ecological salaries.' Currently, 50 bear community patrol teams have been established across 13 counties and cities.

Chiang Po-jen, head of the Wild Echo Environmental Ecology Company, stated that coexistence has two levels: ensuring the sustainable survival of bears while utilizing ecosystem services, and ensuring human safety and the sustainability of human activities. Reducing conflicts is positive for bear conservation, as it prevents bears from being shot or captured due to repeated disturbances, which would otherwise reduce the wild population.

Chiang emphasized that the most important and basic step is to 'remove attractants' or provide protection. This means not discarding bento boxes and properly storing food and kitchen waste in huts so that bears cannot access them, preventing them from becoming accustomed to human food. For chicken or bee farms, electric fences are recommended.

Lin Liang-kung, a distinguished professor at the Center for Ecology and Environment at Tunghai University, suggested that Taiwan should follow the example of countries like Japan, where the government fully subsidizes electric fences for livestock farms. He also pointed out that as the bear population continues to expand, there is a possibility that bears will move to areas below 1,000 meters in altitude within five years, making it urgent to establish comprehensive supporting measures.