By Kim Tae-jong
All the 17 Asiatic black bears, which were set free to settle on Mt. Jiri as part of a species preservation project, have gone into hibernation, the Korea National Park Authority said Friday.
“The bears went into hibernation one by one, starting around the middle of November, and we confirmed that they are now all sleeping, including the cubs that were born last year,” a researcher at the national park authority said.
The hibernation is almost one month earlier than in previous years, which is largely due to the shortage of acorns, on which bears feed mostly to prepare for winter sleep.
“This year the number acorns and other seeds dropped to 60 to 70 percent, compared to last year, and that led the bears to go into hibernation earlier in order to save energy,” the researcher said.
During winter when food supplies are limited, bears tap energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate. And they start to wake up in the dawn of spring around March or April.
The park authorities asked visitors not to make loud noises while on the mountain, which might disturb the sleeping bears.
Started in 1998 by the Ministry of Environment the restoration project is the first of its kind with the aim to breed endangered Asiatic black bears and increase the number to at least 50.
The bears are state-designated natural monument No. 329 and one of the most endangered species in Korea.
The number of bears once increased to 31 after the births of the cubs, but 14 bears either disappeared or died as they simply failed to adjust to wild life. Currently, 17 bears live in the mountain, in the wild.