Escaped bear shot to death, animal rights groups urge law revision

(123rf)

South Korean authorities recently shot an escaped bear in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, sparking calls from animal rights groups for the parliament to pass a pending law that bans bear farming.

According to the Dangjin Fire Station on Tuesday, officials received reports that a bear escaped from a bear farm in Seokpo-ri, Dangjin, at around 7 p.m. on Sunday. Officials located the animal after two hours of searching and shot the animal dead, upon the request of the farm owner who voiced safety concerns.

Local animal rights groups including the Korean Animal Welfare Association stressed that this incident highlights the need for the National Assembly to pass a revision to the Wildlife Protection and Management Act which would outlaw bear farming by 2025. The revision has been pending for nearly two years after the Ministry of Environment announced it in January of last year.

"The news of farm bears escaping and being shot is the only way that the bears can make themselves heard by (Korean society). This is not just about the death of a bear, but bears' desperate plea to society. The National Assembly should do the responsible thing," the Korean Animal Welfare Association said in a statement.

There have been some cases of bears escaping local farms in recent years. Last year, a bear that escaped from a farm in Ulsan attacked and killed its owner. Two years earlier, an escaped bear was found at a local camping site.

While trading of bear meat and fur is banned by law, bear farming is conducted across South Korea for their bile. The substandard conditions of the said farms has been a source of criticism from animal rights groups here. The poor conditions have led to bears escaping captivity, as was in this recent case.

In 2021, two bears escaped from a farm in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and an investigation found that the bears were kept in interlinked metal cages 3.3 square meters in size. This led to the animals being subject to severe stress and to show abnormal behaviors.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)