Guarding Taiwan's Last Wild Black Bears

The Formosan black bear, Taiwan's largest land mammal and a national symbol, was pushed toward extinction by poaching, illegal snares, and habitat loss. Founded by conservation biologist Mei-Hsiu Hwang, the Taiwan Black Bear Conservation Association trains rangers, removes hunting snares, runs a rescue and rehabilitation program, and has delivered black-bear education programs to hundreds of schools across the island. Since 2014, the association has documented at least 18 bears caught in illegal traps, driving its push for stricter snare regulation and safer trap designs. Government surveys that once put the wild population as low as 200-600 bears now yield a preliminary 2026 estimate of around 1,200, a sign of recovery strong enough that regulators are downgrading the species' extinction-risk status.