Re-introduction of the Asiatic black bear into Jirisan National Park, South Korea

Summary

The Asiatic black bear, reduced to fewer than ten individuals in South Korea's Jirisan National Park by 2001 and carrying only a 3% theoretical probability of surviving another century, was targeted for reintroduction after a 2000 population viability workshop modeled that releasing six cubs annually for five years could raise long-term survival odds to 94%. Following an initial 2001 experimental release of four radio-collared captive cubs, responsibility shifted in 2002 to a dedicated Korean National Park Service team, later reorganized into the Species Restoration Center in 2005. Under a 2003 bilateral agreement with Russia, 18 wild cubs genetically close to the native subspecies were imported and released between 2004 and 2007, followed by 11 more from North Korea between 2005 and 2009, all quarantined and health-screened beforehand. By March 2010, released bears had hibernated, adapted to the wild, and produced at least two litters, though five became too habituated to people and had to be recaptured, and eight died from disease or poaching, leaving 19 bears alive in the park. To manage conflict with roughly 500 private apiaries inside the park, the team installed electric fencing at 160 sites in 2007, cutting apiary damage 85% year over year, compensated farmers for losses, removed 271 illegal snares with community and NGO help, and recruited local honorary rangers. Major difficulties included extensive private land use, insufficient monitoring budget, and the park's ecological isolation limiting habitat expansion. The project rates itself Successful, citing confirmed wild hibernation, mating and reproduction as evidence a stable population is achievable.