Taiwan goes to great lengths to protect its indigenous black bears. Work to keep the species going includes training rescued bear cubs how to survive in the wild. One current trainee, a cub rescued just last month, is already on his way to graduating from the program.
A male Formosan Black Bear cub was found at a chicken coop in Taitung County’s Lidao Village last month. Villagers took him in. They named him Litu, a name that represents a place where many wild loquats grow. The village was once growing many wild loquats, and so residents felt the name was a sign that the bear was a part of the village, too.
Ultimately, though, the bear was not to stay in the village. Local people put him into the care of Taitung’s Forestry Bureau. After a month under professional care, the bear’s weight has reached 23kg. Litu will soon be sent back into the wild after he completes a survival skills training course specially devised by conservationists for bear cubs just like him.