Two young Formosan black bears under the care of Taiwan’s Forestry Bureau are on their way back to the wild. But before their release, they need to learn how to survive on their own. This means graduating from a special training program, and it also means a temporary move clear across the island.
Mulas and Lidao are two little Formosan black bears undergoing rehabilitation so that they can rejoin their fellow bears in the wild. Getting back to the wild isn’t as simple as just leaving their care center, though.
Before it releases the two bear cubs, Taiwan’s Forestry Bureau wants to be sure that they can fend for themselves. The bureau has a survival training program in place for bears like these.
Unfortunately, the necessary facilities aren’t in place at the Taitung County center where the bears are being looked after. And experts fear the noise of construction work would be distressing to the bears. That’s why, on Tuesday, the bears were moved clear across Taiwan to a wildlife conservation center in Taichung.
The bears will stay there for two months until work on their training grounds back in Taitung is complete. Then, their survival training can begin, and they can get the skills they need to return to their home in Taiwan’s forests.