Asiatic Black Bear Restoration in Jirisan National Park

Asiatic bears are an umbrella species at the top of the food chain of wild animals in Korea. Since its existence was confirmed in 2000, it became important to maintain the breed of the original stock by reinforcing the individuals in the species. The Asiatic black bear restoration project aims to restore an entire ecosystem by establishing a foundation on which humans and wild animals can coexist. In 2001, the National Institute of Environmental Research selected 4 young bears in captivity and released them into the wild in Jirisan on a test basis. KNPS received Asiatic black bears from the National Institute of Environmental Research and established the Asiatic Black Bear Management Team in its Jirisan South Office in 2002. In 2004, six individuals of the subspecies Ursus thibetanus ussuricus were imported from Russia and released into Jirisan after a period of adaptation training. Since 2004, 51 bears have been released. Currently, about 69 bears are inhabiting the restoration area, comprising 20 released animals and 49 natural births. In 2018, the project realized its goal of achieving a Minimum Viable Population (MVP) of 50 animals, two years earlier than the original 2020 target Among the 69 bears.