28 bears on Mt. Jiri go unmonitored
Baby Asian blak bears at a facility in Mount Jiri run by the Ministry of Environment/Courtesy of Ministry of Environment
By Kim Se-jeong
Out of 47 Asian black bears born on Mount Jiri, 28 are currently not connected to the monitoring system, said Rep. Lee Jeong-mi of the Justice Party.
The Ministry of Environment spearheaded the bear restoration project on Mount Jiri in 2004, turning young bears loose in the wild and monitoring their whereabouts through chips implanted in their bodies.
According to Rep. Lee’s office, among 28, contact with 13 was lost because the batteries ran out of power, while 15 have no chips because they were born in the wild.
The revelation poses a safety threat for hikers. Hiking is a popular pastime for Koreans. Mount Jiri receives 3 million visitors per year.
Last month, one bear was found on Mount Sudo in North Gyeongsang Province, far from the projected Asian black bears’ Mount Jiri habitat. The hungry bear was eating food it stole from humans near the foot of the mountain when it was spotted.
“I am concerned the government has kept this information secret,” Rep. Lee said in a statement. “The government should communicate with the public about the dangers of the bears.”
The ministry downplayed safety concerns, claiming Asian black bears tend to stay secluded avoiding human contact. But bear experts disagree, saying they certainly can attack humans if necessary.
The bears have not attacked any humans so far, but they have reportedly attacked livestock and damaged farms near Mount Jiri.