202505/16
On May 16th, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) released a statistical analysis of Formosan black bear monitoring and sightings in Taiwan since 2011, which shows that the relative abundance (Occurrence Index, OI) of Formosan black bear populations has been increasing year by year, a clear trend. Whether in medium or high altitude mountainous regions with an elevation above 1,200 m or in low altitude areas below such elevation, the number of Formosan black bear sightings has continued to increase in recent years, and their distribution range has also expanded to more townships. Director General Lin Hwa-Ching of FANCA said that in response to the expansion of the black bear population, peaceful coexistence between humans and bears will be the primary goal of future conservation policies.
The FANCA compiled a total of 2,034 records of black bear activities around Taiwan from 2011 to 2025, including sightings, automatic camera captures, invasion notifications, and rescues. Using 2018 as the cut-off point, a comparison of the recorded locations before and after 2018 revealed that a total of 11 counties/cities and 17 townships in Taiwan had records of black bear sightings prior to 2018 (2011-2017).The number of administrative districts with records of black bear sightings increased to 11 counties/cities and 27 townships after 2018 (2018-2025).
If 1200 m is used as the dividing line between low elevation and medium-high elevation, compared to the period before 2018 (2011-2017), there were more black bear sightings in low elevation areas below 1200 m after 2018 (-2025).There were also more black bear sightings in medium-high elevation mountain areas above 1200 m after 2018 (-2025). Statistics show that the population and distribution of Formosan black bears are increasing, whether at medium or high altitudes or at low altitudes, and in some areas they are getting closer to shallow mountains and plains.
To minimize the possible bias introduced by changes in the number of automatic cameras or public willingness to notify bear invasions or rescues, the FANCA also excluded the records of automatic cameras and invasion or rescue notifications, and only compared the records of pure black bear sightings. The results were still consistent with the overall trend, which shows that the increase in the number of black bears in low-altitude areas is not due to “the deterioration of the high mountain environment, causing black bears to come down,” but rather a gradual increase in relative numbers.
The automatic camera statistics accumulated from the FANCA’s wildlife monitoring network across Taiwan from 2015 to 2024 also show that the OI of black bears has increased year by year. The percentage of bears photographed by automatic cameras increased from only 1.8% in 2018 to 8.9% in 2024, which objectively attests to the black bear population expansion trend.
The FANCA explained that Formosan black bears have no natural predators in Taiwan. In the past, population declines were mainly due to human factors such as forest development, illegal hunting, and unintentional accidental capture. However, Taiwan’s forest habitats have improved significantly in recent years. In 2025, the forest cover of national forests reached 1.429 million hectares, an increase of nearly 22,000 hectares from 2015. These include 12,159 hectares of illegally occupied forest land and illegally leased land that were reclaimed and afforested by the FANCA. Results from wildlife monitoring across Taiwan reveal that forest-dwelling wildlife species, including Formosan black bears, display a trend of stable or growing populations.
It is difficult to understand the full extent of the illegal hunting of Formosan black bears as it is a clandestine activity, but the market demand for bear bile and bear bones as medicine has greatly shrunk after many years of advocacy and close monitoring by law enforcement and prosecutors. As for unintentional accidental capture, the FANCA believes that there may still be a considerable number of unreported cases, because metal lasso snares serve as effective and simple tools used by both mountain farmers and indigenous peoples to catch Formosan wild boars and Formosan Reeve’s muntjac. However, if a black bear is caught by mistake, the person who set up the snare will often destroy the evidence for fear of breaking the law. Even if a third party discovers the incident, they are often unwilling to notify the case for rescue to avoid attracting government investigation. This is also the reason why after the black bear 711/568 was killed three years ago, the FANCA began to vigorously advocate “no liability for reporting accidental capture of black bears,” as well as actively promoted improved hunting gear and payments for ecosystem services for Formosan black bears. In the past three years, 14 trapped black bears have been rescued due to notifications, and 10 black bears have returned to the mountains.
The FANCA stated that even though the Formosan black bear population is on the rise, ecological research and conservation actions require greater effort. Especially as black bears discard their cute image and turn into powerful living creatures that are getting closer to us, peaceful coexistence between humans and bears will become the primary goal. In addition to continued work with local residents in black bear conservation, implementation of food management, and promotion of improved hunting gear, the FANCA will also provide guidance to poultry farms and bee farms to strengthen fencing facilities and leverage technology to provide early warning of bear invasions, as well as help farmers create and market bear-friendly agricultural products.
The FANCA has already completed the construction of a wildlife monitoring network across Taiwan. In addition to the 338 automatic cameras previously installed in national forest areas, 346 additional cameras have been installed in low-elevation mountain and plain areas in 2025. The application of data analysis will be more widely adopted in the future to estimate the number of populations and predict their distribution, as to issue early warnings.
In response to the increasing number of potentially intrusive individuals, the FANCA will also carefully assess the risks of release into the wild. In addition to seeking more effective negative control procedures, it will also establish more rigorous release assessment standards, as well as plan the expansion of short- and long-term care space for the black bears.
The FANCA emphasized that Formosan black bears are terrestrial apex predators in Taiwan and important ecological indicator species. The FANCA will remain dedicated to the conservation of Formosan black bear populations and habitat restoration. The ensuing crux of peaceful coexistence between humans and bears stands as the top priority that must be addressed immediately. As mountain indigenous communities act as both the front line facing black bear populations and core stakeholders, the FANCA will continue to partner with local communities to promote black bear conservation. Technological equipment and advanced actions will also be deployed to protect the safety of people and bears, allowing residents to rest assured, thereby placing mountain tribal communities at the vanguard of Formosan black bear conservation.