TAICHUNG (TVBS News) — A Formosan black bear that was accidentally trapped was transported to a medical care station in Nantou's Jiji Township on Wednesday (Dec. 27) around 2 a.m. by the Taichung Branch of Taiwan's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
On Tuesday afternoon, the agency received a distress call regarding a trapped black bear. The bear was stuck around 1,690 meters above sea level near the Sungmao Forest Road in Heping District, reported Lo Ching-yu, a local representative. In response, a team was quickly dispatched to the location, and 12 forest rangers were mobilized for the rescue operation.
Footage shows the bear's right forelimb trapped in a "boar hanging" trap. Despite its struggles, it could not break free. The Taichung Branch remarked that reaching the bear required an hour-long uphill hike from the forest road, complicated by steep terrain and poor nighttime visibility.
Upon arrival, the forestry rangers collaborated with a veterinarian from the Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute to anesthetize the bear, assist it out of the trap, and clean its wounds before sending it to the medical care station for further treatment.
Lo Ching-yu noted that another bear was similarly trapped near the Sqoyaw Village in the same area. He speculated that these incidents may be attributed to bears moving to lower altitudes in response to sudden temperature drops.
The agency's Taichung Branch encourages mountain village residents experiencing threats to their crops from wild animals or needing hunting gear for traditional indigenous hunting to contact the agency to inquire about updated hunting tools.
The branch also urges anyone who encounters potential bear intrusions or trapped bears to immediately report to the agency on its 24-hour hotline. As long as individuals report or assist with rescue, even in cases of accidental trapping or harm, they will not be blamed.
