Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-09-12

For years, a wildlife center run by the agriculture ministry has been caring for rescued

A bear shelter in Taiwan has made life happier for its residents through better conditions.

bears. Conservationists say changes over the past two years have given the bears a better quality of life, with visible results.

This government wildlife center is devoted to research and conservation. Its mission extends to caring for a group of seven bears, including four Formosan black bears. Some of these bears were taken in after suffering injuries, while others have been rescued from illegal captivity.

For the most part, the bears have been at the center for between ten and twenty years. Conservationists noticed that after a long period in the center, the bears started displaying repetitive behaviors, such as pacing, rocking back and forth, or walking in circles. Since 2016, the center’s staff has been working to enrich the bears’ lives and reduce such behavior.    [FULL  STORY]