Last July 6, two Asiatic black bears escaped from a medicinal purpose breeding farm in Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province. One of them was killed on the same day, but the other was not found until the 22nd day of the search.
However, according to a recent police investigation, the farmer’s statements were revealed to be false. There was only one bear that escaped from the beginning. Farmer ‘A’ made a false report to cover up an illegal bear slaughter. Police discovered part of a slaughtered bear carcass in a refrigerator on the farm.
Asiatic black bears are a natural monument and class 1 endangered wildlife. They are also creatures necessary to maintain the diversity of species. For this reason, our government has been conducting the ‘Asiatic Black Bear Restoration Project’ aimed at releasing the Bandal Bear, Asiatic black bear lineage, into Jiri Mountain since 2001.
Why are Asiatic black bears being raised on a private farm? Those bears were imported from Southeast Asia, meaning they are an endangered species but not a natural monument. In this case, individuals can keep the animals. Farmer ‘A’ bred bears imported from Southeast Asia and the Himalayas for medicinal use.
The poor surroundings where they lived were shocking. A narrow and rusty iron cage was the only house waiting for them to die. Mixed food waste was their regular diet. Shin Su-kyung, a lawyer with the Animal Rights Research Lawyers Association, said that it is inhumane to raise them in a small cage for ten years and then let them die.
The Bear Rescue Organization announced The Bear’s Home Project to move rescued Asiatic black bears from breeding farms into a sanctuary facility by next year. They are precious life, too. We should think about the terrible situations in which bears are illegally raised and slaughtered. It is time to speculate on the problem concerned with animal welfare.
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