Formosan Black Bear
Encyclopedia
The Formosan black bear (台灣黑熊, Ursus thibetanus formosanus, or Selenarctos thibetanus formosanus), also known as the white-throated bear, is a subspecies
of the Asiatic black bear
. Formosan black bears are endemic
to Taiwan
. In 2001, they were voted the most representative wildlife of Taiwan in a half-year long countrywide voting campaign. They are also the largest land animals and the only native bears (Ursidae) in Taiwan
.
Because of severe exploitation and habitat degradation in recent decades, populations of wild Formosan black bears have been declining. This species was listed as "endangered" under Taiwan's Cultural Heritage and Preservation Law (Traditional Chinese: 文化資產保存法) in 1989. Their geographic distribution is restricted to remote, rugged areas at elevations of 1000 metre.
. Its head measures 26–35 cm in length and 40–60 cm in circumference
. Its ears are 8–12 cm long. Its snout resembles a dog's, hence its nickname is "dog bear". Its tail is inconspicuous and short — usually less than 10 cm long. Its body is well covered with rough, glossy, black hair, which can grow over 10 cm long around the neck. The tip of its chin is white. On the chest, there is a distinctive yellowish or whitish mark that is shaped like a "V" character or a crescent
moon. This earns it another nickname — "moon bear".
. Diets of bears monitored in Yushan National Park
include succulent vegetation in spring, soft fruits rich in carbohydrate
in summer, and fat-loaded hard mast
(e.g., acorn
and walnut
) in fall/winter.
s in temperate
areas, they move to lower elevations to find food. They are active for 54–57% of daylight hours, and more active during summer (60%) and fall/winter (60%) than spring (47%). They are primarily active during the day in the spring and summer; and increasingly active at night in the fall/winter when acorns are abundant. They are solitary and usually move around extensively except during the mating season or when caring for cubs.
Although they look clumsy and slow, Formosan black bears can easily outrun humans, reaching speeds of 30–40 km per hour. They are skilled at swimming and climbing, as well. Because of their Endangered Species
Status and their habit of avoiding humans, Formosan black bears are rarely seen in the wild. In most of the sightings, the bear usually retreats and runs away from the human. Even though the bears can be aggressive, they rarely attack humans without provocation.
can last for 6–7 months. Thus, wild females usually give birth between December and the following February.
Each birth produces 1–3 cubs. Cubs will be nursed by mother for about six months. When they are strong enough to leave the den, bear cubs will remain with the mother for approximately two years, until the mother enters the next cycle of estrus and drives the cubs off. This forms the 2-year reproductive cycle of Formosan black bears.
s (台灣雲豹) — two of the most powerful land animals on the island of Taiwan
— used to roam and reign over the ranges and mountains on the island of Taiwan
. However, their fates are quite different: leopards have become extinct and the bears though endangered have survived. According to research by the Institute of Wildlife Conservation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology
, this may be due to the myths and traditional taboos of Taiwanese aborigines
.
Bunun people
call black bears Aguman or Duman which means the devil. If a Bunun hunter's trap accidentally traps a bear, he has to build a cottage in the mountains and burn up the body of the bear there. He has also to stay in the cottage alone away from the village until the harvest of millet is finished. Rukai
and Paiwan
people are allowed to hunt bears, but the hunters have to pay the price of carrying the ancient curse in return. Rukai
people believe hunting bears can result in diseases. Also, not every one is allowed to eat bear meat, and children are strongly forbidden to do so. In Taroko (Truku) legends, Formosan black bears are respectful “kings of the forest” whose white mark on the chest represents the moon. The Taroko people believe that killing black bears results in family disasters. In general among these hunting tribes, hunters of boars are respected as heroes, while hunters of bears are considered as losers.
. Reported bear sightings are very low and no one knows exactly how many of them still exist. The species has been legally protected since 1989 but illegal hunting continues and such poaching continues to threaten Formosan black bear populations. For example, eight of fifteen bears captured in a survey had missing toes or paws, caused by illegal traps.
Since 1989, Formosan black bears were listed as endangered animals and protected by Taiwan's Cultural Heritage Preservation Law (Traditional Chinese: 文化資產保存法). Internationally, this species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. CITES bans all international trade of any products from this species. The Formosan black bear is also on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) which declares that these bears are vulnerable to extinction.
An indigenous Bunun hunter once said, "If there were no bears in the mountains, the forest would look empty and I would feel lonely." Mei-Hsiu Hwang of Institute of Wildlife Conservation, a campaigner for black-bear preservation, also said: "We do not wish to lose this soul of Taiwan's mountains. We do not wish our offspring to see them only in the zoo or in history books."
There is still hope for the Formosan black bear. In 2009,Lin Yuan-Yuan (a member of Yushan National Park black-bear conservation group) witnessed and recorded a film showing a mother bear attempting to help her two cubs to cross a rapid near Batongguan Historic Trail (八通關古道) in the eastern section of Tafen (塔芬). Just like Lin— a Bunun hunter who has become a park ranger in Yushan National Park
— everyone should chime in on the conservation effort. Only then, can success be declared in the black bear conservation project.
, a professional baseball team in Taiwan
, features a Formosan black bear.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Asiatic black bear
Asiatic Black Bear
The Asian black bear , also known as the moon bear or white-chested bear is a medium-sized species of bear, largely adapted for arboreal life, which occurs through much of southern Asia, Korea, northeastern China, the Russian far east and Honshū and Shikoku islands of Japan...
. Formosan black bears are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. In 2001, they were voted the most representative wildlife of Taiwan in a half-year long countrywide voting campaign. They are also the largest land animals and the only native bears (Ursidae) in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Because of severe exploitation and habitat degradation in recent decades, populations of wild Formosan black bears have been declining. This species was listed as "endangered" under Taiwan's Cultural Heritage and Preservation Law (Traditional Chinese: 文化資產保存法) in 1989. Their geographic distribution is restricted to remote, rugged areas at elevations of 1000 metre.
Physical characteristics
The Formosan black bear is sturdily built and has a round head, short neck, small eyes, and long snoutSnout
The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.-Terminology:The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous...
. Its head measures 26–35 cm in length and 40–60 cm in circumference
Circumference
The circumference is the distance around a closed curve. Circumference is a special perimeter.-Circumference of a circle:The circumference of a circle is the length around it....
. Its ears are 8–12 cm long. Its snout resembles a dog's, hence its nickname is "dog bear". Its tail is inconspicuous and short — usually less than 10 cm long. Its body is well covered with rough, glossy, black hair, which can grow over 10 cm long around the neck. The tip of its chin is white. On the chest, there is a distinctive yellowish or whitish mark that is shaped like a "V" character or a crescent
Crescent
In art and symbolism, a crescent is generally the shape produced when a circular disk has a segment of another circle removed from its edge, so that what remains is a shape enclosed by two circular arcs of different diameters which intersect at two points .In astronomy, a crescent...
moon. This earns it another nickname — "moon bear".
Diet
They feed primarily on leaves, buds, fruits, roots, although they also eat insects, small animals, and carrionCarrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
. Diets of bears monitored in Yushan National Park
Yushan National Park
Yushan National Park is one of the seven national parks in Taiwan and was named after the summit Yushan, the highest peak of the park. The Park covers a total of 105,490 hectares including large sections of the Central Mountain Range. The Park contains over thirty peaks more than 3,000 meters in...
include succulent vegetation in spring, soft fruits rich in carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
in summer, and fat-loaded hard mast
Mast (botany)
Mast is the "fruit of forest trees like acorns and other nuts". It is also defined as "the fruit of trees such as beech, and other forms of Cupuliferae". Alternatively, it can also refer to "a heap of nuts"....
(e.g., acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
and walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
) in fall/winter.
Habitat and Behavior
The Formosan bear lives in the mountainous forests in the eastern two-thirds of Taiwan at elevations of 3,300 to 10,000 feet. In the Winter, rather than hibernating like Asiatic black bearAsiatic Black Bear
The Asian black bear , also known as the moon bear or white-chested bear is a medium-sized species of bear, largely adapted for arboreal life, which occurs through much of southern Asia, Korea, northeastern China, the Russian far east and Honshū and Shikoku islands of Japan...
s in temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
areas, they move to lower elevations to find food. They are active for 54–57% of daylight hours, and more active during summer (60%) and fall/winter (60%) than spring (47%). They are primarily active during the day in the spring and summer; and increasingly active at night in the fall/winter when acorns are abundant. They are solitary and usually move around extensively except during the mating season or when caring for cubs.
Although they look clumsy and slow, Formosan black bears can easily outrun humans, reaching speeds of 30–40 km per hour. They are skilled at swimming and climbing, as well. Because of their Endangered Species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
Status and their habit of avoiding humans, Formosan black bears are rarely seen in the wild. In most of the sightings, the bear usually retreats and runs away from the human. Even though the bears can be aggressive, they rarely attack humans without provocation.
Reproduction
As solitary animals, Formosan black bears do not stay in fixed shelters, except for females during their breeding period. The bear's courtship period is very brief. A male trails after a female for a few days. After mating, they return to their solitary lives. Females reach sexual maturity at age 3–4 and males reach sexual maturity at age 4–5, usually one year later than females. Mating is usually from June to August and pregnancyPregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
can last for 6–7 months. Thus, wild females usually give birth between December and the following February.
Each birth produces 1–3 cubs. Cubs will be nursed by mother for about six months. When they are strong enough to leave the den, bear cubs will remain with the mother for approximately two years, until the mother enters the next cycle of estrus and drives the cubs off. This forms the 2-year reproductive cycle of Formosan black bears.
Hunter and hunted
Formosan black bears (台灣黑熊) and Formosan clouded leopardFormosan Clouded Leopard
The Formosan Clouded Leopard is a subspecies of Clouded Leopard that was endemic to the island of Taiwan and is now believed to be extinct. Its tail is slightly shorter than that of other subspecies of Clouded Leopard....
s (台灣雲豹) — two of the most powerful land animals on the island of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
— used to roam and reign over the ranges and mountains on the island of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. However, their fates are quite different: leopards have become extinct and the bears though endangered have survived. According to research by the Institute of Wildlife Conservation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology
National Pingtung University of Science and Technology
National Pingtung University of Science and Technology is a university in Neipu, Pingtung, Taiwan.- Academics :NPUST has 24 departments and 27 graduate institutes offering Master's degrees and five Doctoral programs...
, this may be due to the myths and traditional taboos of Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines is the term commonly applied in reference to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Although Taiwanese indigenous groups hold a variety of creation myths, recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han...
.
Bunun people
Bunun People
The Bunun , also historically known as the Vonum, are a tribe of Taiwanese aborigines and are best known for their sophisticated polyphonic vocal music. They speak the Bunun language. Unlike other aboriginal tribes in Taiwan, the Bunun are widely dispersed across the island. In the year 2000 the...
call black bears Aguman or Duman which means the devil. If a Bunun hunter's trap accidentally traps a bear, he has to build a cottage in the mountains and burn up the body of the bear there. He has also to stay in the cottage alone away from the village until the harvest of millet is finished. Rukai
Rukai
The Rukai are one of Taiwan's aboriginal peoples. They speak the Rukai language and live in the mountains of southern Taiwan. As of the year 2000, the Rukai numbered 12,084 — making up 3% of Taiwan's total indigenous population and, as such, the fifth-largest indigenous group...
and Paiwan
Paiwan
The Paiwan are an aboriginal tribe of Taiwan. They speak the Paiwan language. In the year 2000 the Paiwan numbered 70,331. This was approximately 17.7% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making them the third-largest tribal group....
people are allowed to hunt bears, but the hunters have to pay the price of carrying the ancient curse in return. Rukai
Rukai
The Rukai are one of Taiwan's aboriginal peoples. They speak the Rukai language and live in the mountains of southern Taiwan. As of the year 2000, the Rukai numbered 12,084 — making up 3% of Taiwan's total indigenous population and, as such, the fifth-largest indigenous group...
people believe hunting bears can result in diseases. Also, not every one is allowed to eat bear meat, and children are strongly forbidden to do so. In Taroko (Truku) legends, Formosan black bears are respectful “kings of the forest” whose white mark on the chest represents the moon. The Taroko people believe that killing black bears results in family disasters. In general among these hunting tribes, hunters of boars are respected as heroes, while hunters of bears are considered as losers.
Endangered species
From 1998 to 2000, there were fifteen Formosan black bears captured and radio collared in Yushan National ParkYushan National Park
Yushan National Park is one of the seven national parks in Taiwan and was named after the summit Yushan, the highest peak of the park. The Park covers a total of 105,490 hectares including large sections of the Central Mountain Range. The Park contains over thirty peaks more than 3,000 meters in...
. Reported bear sightings are very low and no one knows exactly how many of them still exist. The species has been legally protected since 1989 but illegal hunting continues and such poaching continues to threaten Formosan black bear populations. For example, eight of fifteen bears captured in a survey had missing toes or paws, caused by illegal traps.
Since 1989, Formosan black bears were listed as endangered animals and protected by Taiwan's Cultural Heritage Preservation Law (Traditional Chinese: 文化資產保存法). Internationally, this species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. CITES bans all international trade of any products from this species. The Formosan black bear is also on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) which declares that these bears are vulnerable to extinction.
An indigenous Bunun hunter once said, "If there were no bears in the mountains, the forest would look empty and I would feel lonely." Mei-Hsiu Hwang of Institute of Wildlife Conservation, a campaigner for black-bear preservation, also said: "We do not wish to lose this soul of Taiwan's mountains. We do not wish our offspring to see them only in the zoo or in history books."
There is still hope for the Formosan black bear. In 2009,Lin Yuan-Yuan (a member of Yushan National Park black-bear conservation group) witnessed and recorded a film showing a mother bear attempting to help her two cubs to cross a rapid near Batongguan Historic Trail (八通關古道) in the eastern section of Tafen (塔芬). Just like Lin— a Bunun hunter who has become a park ranger in Yushan National Park
Yushan National Park
Yushan National Park is one of the seven national parks in Taiwan and was named after the summit Yushan, the highest peak of the park. The Park covers a total of 105,490 hectares including large sections of the Central Mountain Range. The Park contains over thirty peaks more than 3,000 meters in...
— everyone should chime in on the conservation effort. Only then, can success be declared in the black bear conservation project.
Popular culture
The logo of La New BearsLa New Bears
The Lamigo Monkeys , formerly First Financial Holdings Agan and then the La New Bears , are a professional baseball team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan...
, a professional baseball team in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, features a Formosan black bear.
External links
- Forestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture, Republic of China (Taiwan)
- The Current Status of Formosan Black Bear in Taiwan by Y. Wang
- Status and Management of the Formosan Black Bear in Taiwan by Yin Wang
- The status and management of Asiatic black bears in Taiwan by MY Hwang and Y. Wang; ; ; ; ; 2009: The complete mitochondrial genome of the Formosan black bear (Ursus thibetanus formosanus). Zootaxa, 1971: 50–58.
- Conservation and Research of Formosan Black Bear, Institute of Wildlife Conservation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology