"Location Trackers?" 57 Out of 89 Wild Asiatic Black Bears Remain 'Missing'

Among the 89 wild Asiatic black bears, 57 are currently untraceable in terms of location.

According to data received on the 17th by Lee Yong-woo, a member of the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, from the Ministry of Environment and others, only 32 of the 89 Asiatic black bears living in Jirisan and other areas have functioning location trackers. This is due to the short battery life of the trackers, which lasts about 1 to 2 years, and the difficulty of capturing bears to replace the trackers.

Of the remaining Asiatic black bears, 19 had trackers attached but their batteries were depleted, causing malfunction, or the trackers were damaged or detached. Additionally, 38 bears are offspring born in the wild from restoration project-released individuals and have never had trackers attached.

Jirisan Asiatic Black Bear Cub (Photo by Asia Economy DB)

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The Asiatic black bear restoration project marked its 20th anniversary this year. It began in 2004 by releasing six bears imported from Russia into Jirisan to preserve the ecological axis and biodiversity of the Korean Peninsula. Although the population increased from six to 89 over 20 years, difficulties in managing location trackers have increased. Moreover, as the number of bears born in the wild and those whose locations are untraceable continues to rise, incidents of bears dying in accidents or causing accidents have also occurred.

From 2005 to this year, 11 Asiatic black bears have died, mostly due to accidents such as getting caught in snares or ingesting pesticides. The number of cases where Asiatic black bears caused damage to property and were compensated through insurance has totaled 588 up to this year. Compensation amounts reached approximately 1.028 billion KRW (572 cases) by last year.

Some argue that since the initial goal of securing a minimum viable population of 50 bears was achieved at the start of the restoration project, the project’s direction should now be changed. Academic circles estimate the appropriate population size within Jirisan to be around 56 to 78 bears, raising concerns that the current wild Asiatic black bear population may actually be too large.

Half-moon Chest Bear Osami

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In August, an accident occurred where a man in his 60s, who was collecting mushrooms in the Jirisan forest, was injured while hastily escaping after encountering a wild bear. This man reportedly collided with a rock while fleeing after unexpectedly meeting a bear near Munsusa Temple in Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do. Asiatic black bears tend to stay deep in the forest due to their cautious nature, so encounters with visitors are rare; however, from June to August, which is their mating season, their activity range expands, increasing the low probability of being seen by people.

Assemblyman Lee said, "There needs to be a shift in perception that nature is shared by humans and animals," adding, "Education for citizens should be strengthened to prevent damage caused by wildlife, and preventive facilities must be thoroughly prepared in advance."

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