'Jonghyeongmujin' Half-moon Bear Osami... Appears Again in Yeongdong, Chungbuk

Sighted near Minjujisan on the 4th... Third time in Yeongdong
"If encountered, back away to avoid the area"

Osam-i, an 8-year-old Asiatic black bear (code number KM-53) that has been roaming extensively across the central and southern regions of the Korean Peninsula instead of staying in its habitat since it was two years old, has appeared again in Yeongdong, Chungbuk.

The Asiatic black bear 'Osam-i' (code number KM-53) appeared in Yeongdong, Chungbuk [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 5th, Yeongdong-gun announced that the bear was spotted near Minjujisan Mountain in Mulhan-ri, Sangchon-myeon at around 8:50 a.m. the previous day. This is the third time Osam-i has visited this area, following June 2020 and June 2021. Osam-i also appeared last June in Myeongtiri, Cheongsan-myeon, Okcheon-gun, a neighboring village.

Osam-i’s name comes from the code number assigned by the Korea National Park Service. Born in January 2015 at the Asiatic Black Bear Learning Center in Gurye-gun, Jeonnam, Osam-i is a male bear released into Jirisan Mountain in October of the same year.

Osam-i’s exceptional adventurous spirit(?) became evident starting in 2017 when it was two years old. In June 2017, Osam-i left its release site in Jirisan and was found at Sudosan Mountain in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, gaining attention as the first Asiatic black bear to leave the Jirisan release site.

In 2017 alone, Osam-i left Jirisan twice. In May 2018, it was involved in a traffic accident near the Hamyang Junction of the Daejeon-Tongyeong Expressway, where it was hit by an express bus and suffered a fracture in its left front paw. After treatment, the bear was re-released in August 2018 at Sudosan Mountain in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk. However, it continued its nomadic behavior, moving across Gayasan (Hapcheon, Gyeongnam), Deogyusan (Muju, Jeonbuk), and Minjujisan (Yeongdong, Chungbuk). In June 2020, Osam-i appeared in Hwasan 2-ri, Yeongdong-eup, where it destroyed four beehives used for apiculture and consumed the honey.

Because of this, Osam-i has earned various nicknames such as the "Columbus Bear," named after the explorer Columbus, and the "Papillon Bear," meaning it is good at escaping. Osam-i has a transmitter attached to its ears and neck that sends very high frequency (VHF) signals, allowing for approximate location tracking.

A representative from the National Park Wildlife Conservation Center, which is tracking the bear, said, "Osam-i began moving away from Jirisan when it was two years old and very curious. Now, its habitat should be considered to include southern areas of Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Jeonbuk, and Chungbuk." They added, "Wild bears move according to seasons, food, and breeding needs, but Osam-i’s activity range is larger than other individuals. Osam-i has been trained to avoid humans, and since its location is tracked 24 hours a day, there should be no contact with people. However, if you encounter it, please back away slowly and leave the area." Yeongdong-gun has also informed residents of Osam-i’s appearances through town and township offices and urged caution among the community.