The Elusive 'Bandalgom' Released in Jirisan... Found 90km Away Searching for a Mate

Gyeongbuk Gimcheon-si Launches Project to Marry Off Half-Moon Bear Osami (KM-53)

Asian black bear Osami (KM-53).

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Dongwook Park] Osam-i (KM-53), a native Asiatic black bear born in Korea in 2015 and released into Jirisan in October of the same year, has been actively moving around, recently appearing in the coexistence forest in Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, about 90 km away.

According to Gimcheon City on the 7th, Osam-i, who hibernated in Gayasan in early March and then lived in Sudosan, Gimcheon, moving back and forth between Goryeong-Hapcheon Gayasan, has recently been elusive across areas including Sudosan-Daedeoksan in Gimcheon, Minjujisan in Yeongdong, Chungbuk, Yeongdong-eup, Mupung-myeon in Muju-gun, Samdobong, and Jilmaejae.

Osam-i, expanding his activity range, is a 5-year-old adult bear with vigorous energy, actively searching for a female to establish his territory and reproduce, moving swiftly like Hong Gil-dong from east to west. Gimcheon City explained that the National Institute of Biological Resources is closely monitoring him as a special case in the Asiatic black bear restoration project.

Currently, about 70 individuals of Asiatic black bears form a population in Jirisan, and the authorities regard the first phase of the restoration project as successfully implemented. If Osam-i, the starting point of the second phase expansion project, finds a mate in Sudosan, it is expected that a large population will naturally increase around the Sudosan area.

Lee Jeong-bae, head of the Sudosan Asiatic Black Bear Guardians, conducted illegal trap (such as snares) removal work around Samdobong and Minjujisan on June 28 and installed banners on major hiking trails informing people how to respond if they encounter an Asiatic black bear.

Lee Sam-geun, head of the Environmental Sanitation Division of Gimcheon City, said, "We are promoting the Osam-i marriage project to help Osam-i settle stably and form a population around Sudosan," adding, "We will continue illegal trap removal and mountain area cleanup activities to stabilize the habitat."